For the third time in its history, the Leñadores (Lumberjacks) from Las Tunas will dispute the Cuban baseball title, after winning 5-4 on Saturday and taking a tremendous semifinal against the Crocodiles from Matanzas.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- In the sixth skirmish of a merciless battle, once again the reliever Keniel Ferraz was a wall. The boy has been a key player on the road to the final, with a couple of successes against the Ciego de Ávila Tigres and as many against Armando Ferrer's team.
On Saturday afternoon, Ferraz reaffirmed his candidacy for the MVP title of the postseason, after stopping the line-up of the national runners-up. In all, he pitched 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, with three strikeouts.
The Las Tunas “fire extinguisher” replaced starter Ángel Sánchez in the third inning, who had four earned runs in just 2.1 innings, with homers by Andrys Pérez and Yurisbel Gracial.
However, those led by Abeysi Pantoja also appealed to their leading figures to remove left-handed Denis Quesada from the mound in the very first act. With the Crocodiles grown, scoring a couple of runs in the first inning, Yosvani Alarcón once again showed his quality as a hitter by hitting a bases-loaded double that quickly tied the score and made it clear to the visitors that at the Julio Antonio Mella Park, the fighting is tough for any team.
Game 6 was defined as early as the fourth inning, with a double by Denis Peña after a serious miss by right fielder Rubi Silva. Once again, Leonis Figueredo from pinch hitter responded with a sacrifice fly, while Héctor Castillo, with a hit to center field, drove in the one that would ultimately define the match.
From that moment until the end, Ferraz was lord and master of the game, alternating the duel against the defeated Haykel Parra, the left-handed Naykel Cruz, and the fast Armando Dueñas. In the eighth chapter, he needed the help of Alberto Pablo Civil and he couldn't put it in better hands.
The end was up to the closer from Puerto Padre, who reached 18 savings throughout the season. In the ninth episode, a great play by Denis Peña started a double play that marked the beginning of the end for the Crocodiles. Finally, the review of the video favored Las Tunas.
The victory put an end to the curse of Las Tunas against those from Matanzas, in the fourth playoff between them. To stop Armando Ferrer's team, Dánel Castro touched the ball as in his best days, Roberto Baldoquín defended shortstops with his usual mastery, Yúnior Josué Otero hit two hits and reached base three times in four turns, while Daisel Lewis validated his status as a defensive player by closing the match with a great catch on Yadil Mujica's drive.
Las Tunas will now wait for its rival to dispute the crown. If Industriales wins this Monday, the final will begin on Thursday at the "Mella"; but if it is defined in the seventh game, the fight against Santiago de Cuba will start on Friday, also at the Lumberjacks “forest.”
