Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Yordan Álvarez made his first big splash of 2024 on Wednesday. In the Astros' 8-0 victory over the Blue Jays, Yordan Alvarez went 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, and three RBIs. Against the Blue Jays, Alvarez had an outstanding day at the plate. After knocking down a base hit in the first inning, he took Chris Bassitt deep for a solo homer in the third. This was his first home run of the season. In the fourth, he drove in a second run with a double, then hit his second homer with a solo shot in the sixth off Tim Mayza. He nearly hit a third homer in the seventh inning, hitting a ball to the warning track. The bat of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has gone cold. It seems Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has cooled down his bat after a lightning start that saw him hit three home runs and drive in 10 runs in his first four games of the season. On Wednesday, he went 0-for-4 with a walk and one run scored for the D-backs, who lost 6-5 to the Yankees in 11 innings. In three games in April, Gurriel Jr. has gone 0-for-13 with one strikeout and one walk, extending his streak of 14 games without a hit. Adolis García struck out three times against Tampa Bay. There was a hit between Yandy Daz and Randy Arozarena for the Rays. Adolis García has also yet to warm up the engines sufficiently. He went 1-for-4 with one run scored and three strikeouts on Wednesday, leaving his slash line at .240/.286/.640 with 3 HR and 6 RBI for the season. Randy Arozarena went 0-for-4 in the same game for Tampa Bay, while Yandy D'az finished 1-for-3. Jorge Soler went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI against the Giants on Wednesday. A RBI was collected by Soler after his second home run of the season. In addition to scoring twice, he struck out as well. The Giants have signed Soler to bolster the lineup's power, and he's slashing .280/.387/.600 with two home runs and three RBI. Despite not feeling well, Cionel Pérez is optimistic he can resume throwing shortly. It was while he was in the bullpen against the Angels on Saturday that he felt pain for the first time. We will be monitoring Perez's situation as he works his way back to full strength as we wait for him to be eligible to return to action on April 15. It doesn't look like Yasmani Grandal will return anytime soon. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday that Grandal (foot) is "a ways away" from being ready for action. The start of a running progression is an encouraging development for Grandal after he was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in early March. Even so, the Pirates do not expect the 35-year-old to be available any time soon. Joey Bart was acquired on Tuesday to add depth to the club's catching department.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources Yariel Rodríguez tossed four hitless innings on Tuesday for Triple-A Buffalo. Rodriguez looked extremely impressive in his minor-league debut after failing to make Toronto’s season-opening rotation. The 27-year-old Cuban righty, who signed a five-year, $32 million contract during the offseason, piled up six strikeouts and only issued one walk, needing just 55 pitches to navigate four frames. It’s possible he’ll be summoned to make his major-league debut in the near future, especially if Bowden Francis continues to struggle. Yandy Díaz went 1-for-4 with one RBI and a run scored in Tuesday’s win over the Rangers. Randy Arozarena and Adolis García also singled. Díaz laced a single to right field in the third inning to give the Rays their first run of the day. Díaz would score in the bottom of the fifth inning after reaching base via a walk and is now hitting .261 on the young campaign. Díaz has cooled off after starting 5-for-9 at the plate through his first two games. Tuesday’s lone hit brought him to 1-for-14 over his last three games. In the same game for the Rays, Randy Arozarena went 1-for-3 with a run, a RBI, and a walk while for the Rangers, Adolis García went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. Néstor Cortés allowed three runs in five innings Tuesday in a loss to the Diamondbacks. Cortés (0-1) took the loss Tuesday, allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings in a 7-0 loss to the Diamondbacks. He struck out two. Cortés allowed three runs in the first inning for a second-straight start Tuesday. Like his previous outing versus Houston, Cortés would rebound to blank the Diamondbacks over his final four frames, though he'd ultimately take the loss as the Yankees couldn't crack Zac Gallen in a shutout defeat. Cortés will look to limit the early damage in his next start, currently lined up for next week versus Miami. Tuesday, Yoán Moncada and Luis Robert Jr. combined for two hits. As a team, Moncada and Robert combined for two hits against the Braves in a 3-2 Chicago victory. Furthermore, Moncada walked and struck out, while Robert scored one run and struck out as well. Aledmys Díaz has yet to resume running. Aledmys Díaz has resumed baseball activities, but hasn’t progressed to running yet, after landing on the injured list last week with a calf strain. He figures to be ready to make his season debut later this month. The season has started slowly for Yordan Álvarez and José Abreu. In Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays, Álvarez and Abreu each had one hit, but power still eludes them. Both Alvarez and Abreu went 1-for-4, with Abreu striking out twice. This season, Alvarez is slashing .125/.222/.125 while Abreu is sitting at .105/.190/.105, neither is homering or driving in runs. Marlins designated RHP Vladimir Gutiérrez for assignment Monday. Gutiérrez was added to Miami’s active roster over the weekend and wound up allowing four runs over four innings on Sunday in relief against the Pirates. The 28-year-old righty will presumably head back to Triple-A Jacksonville, if he goes unclaimed on waivers. Miami called up Kent Emanuel from Triple-A Jacksonville to replace Gutierrez as a long man out of the bullpen.

Cuban Players News for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. A compilation of several sources As the Rangers triumphed 9-3 over the Rays on Monday, Adolis García hit a solo home run and finished with two RBI. A one-sided affair in Tampa Bay ended with Garcia's third round-tripper of the season, taking journeyman righty Chris Devenski deep in the eighth inning. The homer was Adolis' 100th career HR. It was precisely at Tropicana Field on April 15, 2021, that Adolis hit his first home run of his MLB career. Tonight he also collected an RBI after being hit by a pitch in the ensuing frame. With three home runs, six RBI, and one stolen base through four contests, the 31-year-old player has continued his impressive 2023 postseason performance. First save of the season for Aroldis Chapman. Despite only getting one out, Chapman converted his first save opportunity against the Nationals on Monday night. In total, he threw three strikes. Chapman's save broke a tie with Mesa and he is now alone in 21st place in MLB saves. With eight more saves, Chapman could tie John Wetteland for 16th on the list. José Abreu was back in the lineup Monday against the Blue Jays. Abreu sat out Sunday’s game against the Yankees due to soreness in his hand, but the 37-year-old is back while playing first base and hitting sixth Monday against the Blue Jays. He collected his first hit of the season and went 1-for-4 with a strikeout. Abreu seems to be in another slow start for the season slashing .067/.176/.067. Yenier Cano threw a scoreless inning Monday. Dairon Blanco with two steals. In a 6-4 win for the Orioles, Yenier Cano threw a 1 1/3 scoreless inning against Kansas City in his second outing of the season. He allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out one. Yenier Cano played a key role for the Orioles in 2023. With a sharp breaking ball and the ability to throw fast pitches, he can effectively pitch against most hitters. In the same game for Kansas City, pinch runner Dairon Blanco stole two bases and scored the tying run in the ninth inning. The Orioles put the game away in the bottom of the frame. Against the Yankees, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went hitless. In a 5-2 loss to the Yankees, Gurriel Jr. had a bad night for the D-backs. It was a 0-for-4 game for him with a strikeout. In the third inning, when the Yankees scored three runs, he also made a throwing error. Díaz and Arozarena went hitless against the Rangers on Monday. Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena went hitless in a 9-3 loss to the Rangers on Monday.  Díaz went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts while Arozarena was 0-for-3 with a walk. A sixth straight postseason run is on the line for the Tampa Bay team as both players are key contributors. Andy Ibáñez returned to the lineup Monday. Andy Ibáñez returned to the lineup for the Detroit Tigers against the New York Mets Monday. Ibáñez was back after coming up with a clutch go-ahead, pinch-hit RBI single to top the White Sox Sunday. He started at second base and batted second against the Mets, and went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts. On Monday, Luis Robert Jr. struck out four times. Moncada had two hits. In Monday's 9-0 loss to the Braves, Robert went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. He batted .264/.315/.542 in 2023 while hitting 38 home runs and stealing 20 bases, but it was also the first year he played over 98 games for Chicago. In order to repeat that performance, he will have to stay healthy. In the same game, Yoán Moncada went 2-for-3 with a walk batting second in the lineup. (Photo: Adolis García/Julio Aguilar)

In the Pan American qualifier for the 2024 World Cup to be held in Colombia from August 16 to 25, the Cuban U15 baseball team had a disastrous performance. With a 2-3 record in Group B of the tournament, the team did not advance to this year's world championship. At the 2022 World Cup, the Cubans finished in second place, losing 4-3 to Team USA in the final. Cubans' performance in their group at a tournament held at Boca Chica Baseball City complex in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was as follows. Results for Cuba in Group B (Peru 3, Cuba 11) on March 16 (Puerto Rico 6, Cuba 8) on March 17 (Cuba 10, Venezuela 11) (8 innings) on March 19 (Cuba 24, Guatemala 0) (5 innings) on March 19 (Nicaragua 11, Cuba 1) (5 innings) on March 20 Accordingly, Group B after the qualifying round played from March 16 to 20 concluded in this manner. (Q): Qualifier to the 2024 World Cup (WCG): To play a Wild Card Game for the fifth World Cup ticket The Dominican Republic (5-0) and Mexico (4-1) qualified directly for the World Cup in Group A, while Puerto Rico (5-0) and Nicaragua (4-1) qualified in Group B. On Thursday, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will determine the Pan-American champion, while Mexico and Nicaragua will determine third place. To determine the fifth World Cup ticket, Brazil (2-3) and Venezuela (3-2) will play in a wild-card game. The only two teams who failed to win a game in the tournament were Argentina, in Group A, and Peru, in Group B.

This is Matanzas and manager Armando Ferrer's second title in Cuba within four years Finals of the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball Game 6: Matanzas 12, Artemisa 5 Matanzas won the series 4-2 Matanzas Crocodiles fans knew exactly what was coming when Yordanis Samón hit a solo homer in the fifth inning. The Crocodiles' 12-5 victory over Artemisa Hunters in Game 6 of the II Elite League Finals gave Matanzas its second franchise championship and first in this tournament. Box score As for Samón, it was his first title in the Cuban League after 21 seasons. After the game, he said "I am very grateful to manager Armando Ferrer, who told me a long time ago in the Latinoamericano Stadium that he would make me champion. I dedicate this victory to my family, my children, my wife, and my neighbors, who are far away." Regarding the Matanzas fans, he said, "The Matanzas fans behaved very well and always trusted the team." Between the regular season and postseason, the team won 33 games, resulting in a well-deserved championship. In an elite tournament, Matanzas became the first Cuban province champion team. Agricultores, a collection of players from different National Series teams, won the inaugural tournament in 2023. Game 6 had no starter hero on the mound. Both starters failed to make it past the third inning. For Artemisa righthander Raymond Figueredo, who threw 5 innings of two runs in Game 2, wasn't even close this time. He left the game in the bottom of the second inning, while Renner Rivero completed 2 1/3 innings for Matanzas. A close game was predicted after both pitchers allowed three runs in the first inning. The game started with Artemisa up 3-0 because of a three-run homer by Dennis Laza. Matanzas, however, tied the game in the bottom of the first inning with three hits and two costly errors. The Hunters took the lead in the third inning. Two walks, a single, and an error took Rivero out of the game. Raúl González extended Artemisa's lead to 5-3 with a sacrifice fly against reliever Noelvis Entenza. Entenza, who made an outstanding performance against Las Tunas in Game 6 to earn the win and send the team to the finals, had a remarkable finals performance against Artemisa. The veteran right-hander, who appeared in Games 2 and 4 of the series, both games won by Artemisa, in Game 6 took the win, during his third outing of the Finals. During his two previous outings, he posted an immaculate ERA in 6 innings. Once again, he pitched three scoreless innings, striking out three and retiring eight of the first nine hitters he faced. With his team ahead 7-5 in the sixth, he got into trouble. Two walks and a single loaded the bases with two outs. It was enough for manager Armando Ferrer, and he made a call to his bullpen. In the post-game interview, Entenza said "I worked very hard to bring joy to Matanzas, which deserves it. Also, Artemisa deserves recognition. It added a color to the playoffs that I hadn't even anticipated." After entering the game, Frank L. Medina promptly retired Yoán Moreno on a grounder to second base to end the threat, despite the dispute over the out at second base that went to the replay but it was confirmed out. For Matanzas in Game 6, it was essential to avoid a debacle. It was the end of the series for Artemisa after the failed rally. Five runs were scored by Matanzas in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. The inning began with a solo homer to left by Ariel Sánchez. However, the party continued. The lead was extended to 9-5 after Yordan Manduley hit a triple and an RBI single by Alexander Pozo. In the final frame, the Crocodiles led 12-5 after scoring three more runs in the inning. In the end, Matanzas easily won what initially looked like a close game. Matanzas received 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief from Frank L. Medina, who was able to match Entenza's performance. While Entenza took the win, he was credited with the save, his third this postseason. The last out of the game came when Dayán García gave up a ground ball to Medina at first base. It was only the beginning of the party for the 20,540 fans gathered at Victoria de Girón stadium. Since the start of the regular season, Matanzas was the clear favorite, winning 25 games, five games more than Artemisa. Even with the addition of ex-MLB players Rusney Castillo and Dariel Álvarez, the team didn't need them in the postseason. This was Armando Ferrer's second championship in four years, after winning the 59th National Series in 2020. "It is a prepared team. We were a team, not a super team, but a great team. This is a team that knows how to play Play-Offs, and this is the result," manager Armando Ferrer said after the game. When asked if he felt any pressure during the series, Ferrer replied, "You always feel extra pressure, because when you are the big favorite, it makes you seem unbeatable, that you cannot be beaten. The truth is that anyone can lose in baseball. That's why I said this wouldn't end in a fourth or fifth game." He had these words for the fans: "The crowd has always been impressive, we performed well and the people have always responded." Matanzas had never won a championship before these two titles and after 1962, when the National Series started. Henequeneros (3) (1969-70, 1989-90, 1990-91) and Citricultores (2) (1976-77, 1983-84) were two other representative teams from Matanzas that had won the National Series five times in total.  Even in the defunct Cuban Professional League, Matanzas won only one championship in the 1892-93 season under manager Luis María Catalá. With today's win, they continued to make Cuban League history.

A recently named series of stars will be played by the All-Star team in Matanzas Yurisbel Gracial from Matanzas won the Most Valuable Player award of the II Elite Cuban Baseball League (LEBC). The II LEBC announced this Monday night in Havana its All-Star teams for the offensive and defensive departments, known as Silver Bats and Golden Gloves, respectively. Yurisbel Gracial, one of the rare selections for the most valuable title, accumulating only 67 at-bats of the 108 required, was undoubtedly an offensive force for his Matanzas team in 14 games. As a joint leader of the tournament, Gracial hit 8 home runs, drove in 25 runs, and put up an offensive line of .418/.522/.909, with projections that he could still have won the title if he played all the regular season games. It is expected that the All-Star team will also play in the announced All-Star Series alongside the team that is crowned in this Elite tournament. To "finish off" the Colombian Intercontinental Baseball Series that failed, this series will invite foreign teams. Almost like the now-canceled Intercontinental tournament, the series will run from January 28 to February 1. In Miami, the newly formed FEBCUBE federation wanted to participate and represent Cubans in the Intercontinental Series. It does not appear that foreign casts will be taken for this hasty and unnecessary series, but confirmation is still pending. According to Juan Reinaldo Pérez, the president of the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation, if foreign teams do not enter, the series will be played in three games with a best-of-two format, beginning on January 28 at Victoria de Girón Stadium. These are the II Elite League All-Star teams. II Elite League Awards MVP Yurisbel Gracial (Matanzas) Silver Slugger C: Andy Y. Cosme (Artemisa) 1B: Rafael R. Viñales (Las Tunas) 2B: Jorge E. Alomá (Industriales) SS: Luis V. Mateo (Industriales) 3B: Yurisbel Gracial (Matanzas) OF: Dennis Laza (Artemisa) OF: Alexander Pozo (Matanzas) OF: Denis Peña (Las Tunas) UT: José A. Noroña (Matanzas) DH: Frederich Cepeda (Sancti Spíritus) Gold Glove C: Andy Y. Cosme (Artemisa) 1B: Yordanis Samón (Matanzas) 2B: Jorge E. Alomá (Industriales) SS: Dainel López (Artemisa) 3B: Yordanis Alarcón (Las Tunas) LF: Denis Laza (Artemisa) CF: Eduardo Blanco (Matanzas) RF: Carlos de la Tejera (Artemisa) P: Yadián Martínez (Las Tunas) Best RHP Remberto Barreto (Industriales) Best LHP Geonel Gutiérrez (Artemisa) Best Reliever Yanielkis Duardo (Sancti Spíritus)

Game 6 will be played this Tuesday at the Victoria de Girón stadium in Matanzas Finals of the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball Game 5: Matanzas 6, Artemisa 1 Matanzas leads the series 3-2 A gem of a pitching performance by Yoennis Yera for seven innings and an offensive effort by Eduardo Blanco, led Matanzas to a 6-1 victory over Artemisa this Sunday afternoon at Artemisa stadium in the always important Game 5. Box score Having won games 3 and 5 of the series, the Crocodiles return to Matanzas needing just one more win to win their first Elite League title. In the best-of-seven series, they are leading 3-2 heading into Game 6 this Tuesday. In the second inning, both teams scored their first runs. At the top of the second episode, three consecutive singles from Yordanis Samón, Erisbel Arruebarruena, and Eduardo Blanco put the score at 1-0. A walk to José Noroña loaded the bases with no outs, but starter Geonel Gutiérrez struck out Andrys Pérez and induced Ariel Sánchez to hit into a double play to end the threat. It wouldn't take long for the answer to come. It would come courtesy of Frederich Cepeda, whose solo home run in the bottom of the inning opened the scoring. It would be the only thing the Matanzas starter would allow. Gutiérrez, Yera's rival in this Game 5, couldn't repeat his performance from Game 1, when he threw six innings and surrendered three runs. During the third episode, Matanzas would regain control. Yordan Manduley and Alexander Pozo, the latter one of Armando Ferrer's changes to rest Rusney Castillo, both hit singles. Yurisbel Gracial hit a sacrifice bunt to move runners to third and second. In response, Artemisa intentionally walked Samón, but Gutiérrez walked Arruebarrena to make it 2-1. Ultimately, the slightest advantage would have sufficed. This would be the last batter the Hunters starter would face. Gutiérrez only lasted 2 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and two runs. He faced 14 batters in total, but disastrously 10 of them reached base, six for hits and four for walks. Considering the absence of his closer Liván Moinelo, Yulieski González's bullpen would have to endure too many innings so early in the game. It was Jose I. Bermúdez who entered the game. As he struck out Blanco for the second out, third baseman Dayán García made a defensive error on the following batter. This extended the Crocodiles' lead to 3-1. In the meantime, Yera grew stronger as the game progressed. Three men were on base and two were in scoring position in the third and fourth innings, but he was always able to escape the danger. With runners on first and second, he overpowered Cepeda with a fly ball to right in the third inning. In the next inning, Osbel Pacheco was retired by Yera on a grounder to shortstop after Jiménez doubled to right. The fifth was even better when he faced the minimum number of batters without allowing anyone to reach base. After Jiménez's double in the fourth inning, Yera retired nine of the ten batters he faced. There was only one baserunner reaching base in the sixth inning, Dayán García, due to an error by Gracial at third base. At the end of the day, the experienced left-hander delivered what his team needed in the always crucial Game 5. Seven innings of four hits, one earned run, and two walks characterized his performance. Despite not striking out in the game, he was effective enough in the beginning to dominate an Artemisa offense that missed the few opportunities it had. Artemisa's hitters went 0-for-2 with RISP against Yera, while they went 0-for-3 overall in such situations. As a result, Artemisa's offense was never able to control the match. As Yera left the mound in the eighth inning, to maintain his team's lead Frank L. Medina pitched two scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits. Crocodiles put the game out of reach in the seventh inning. Three consecutive singles by Gracial, Samón, and Arruebarrena made it 4-1 against Bermúdez. Blanco's two-RBI double rounded out the final score after reliever Israel Sánchez entered the game. It was Blanco's seventh RBI in the final. He led a team that until Game 5 had produced 23 RBIs against Artemisa's pitching. In the sixth inning, one of those historic moments was also experienced. Against reliever José I. Bermúdez, Ariel Sánchez collected his 2000th career hit in National Series history, the 27th player to accomplish such a feat. It was also the fifth such honor achieved by a player from the province of Matanzas, the third for the Sánchez family, and the first by a player who played in an Elite League. After the game, Sánchez said to the press: “I spent almost a month to hit 8 hits. I was indeed a little anxious, but it is a goal I never thought I would reach, from the beginning when I started my career. My uncles - Wilfredo and Fernando, whom also reached 2000 career hits - and I discussed this feat. Playing these National Series requires a lot of preparation and sacrifice. My goal was to accomplish this in 18 seasons because few players had achieved it in that timeframe. In the end, I just want to thank God that I could do my job and I'm happy." The Crocodiles lead the series 3-2, and the series moves to the Victoria de Girón stadium in Matanzas for Game 6 on Tuesday at 6:30 pm. Both teams have yet to announce their pitchers.

An outstanding pitching performance by the right-hander from Pinar del Rio evened the series at 2-2 Finals of the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball Game 4: Artemisa 3, Matanzas 2 The series is tied 2-2 Erlis Casanova paid the best tribute to his wife just 13 days after she passed away. To even the series at 2-2, the right-hander threw a complete game in Game 4 of the II Elite League Finals. Frederich Cepeda and Dayán García each recorded crucial singles in the win. Box score After the game ended, the man from Pinar del Rio, who reinforces Artemisa in this edition of the Elite League, could not avoid crying. After all, it was just his first start since losing his wife to an unfortunate illness. Backed by RBI singles from Frederich Cepeda and Dayán García, Casanova allowed only eight hits in a 109-pitch effort, giving a necessary victory to the local team. Throughout the game, there were only two bad moments for the right-hander. In the first inning, when he allowed two hits, one by Ariel Sánchez and a single by Yurisbel Gracial. However, he was well-defended, inducing a double play, including a throw to the plate for the third out by right-fielder Luis González. The other came in the eighth inning when Matanzas opened the scoring. Ariel Sánchez's double to right drove two runners after a walk, a single, and a sacrifice hit. It looked like Casanova would be out of the game soon. However, after Gracial's single, Samón was retired on a fly ball to right field to end the threat. In the ninth, a defensive error allowed one runner to reach first, but he retired the other three men to secure the victory. In five of nine innings, he faced the minimum number of batters. Following Gracial's hit in the first inning, he retired nine consecutively until Samón's single in the fourth. After allowing two hits in that inning, he closed it out by striking out Arruebarrena. Then Samón started the seventh inning with a single. However, Casanova managed to force Rusney Castillo to hit into a double play, ending the inning with his second strikeout against Arruebarrena. With runners in scoring position, Matanzas went 3-for-6, but those hits had no impact on the scoreboard aside for Sánchez's double in the eighth. In the first, fourth, and eighth innings of the crucial game, great hitters like Samón and Arruebarrena were 0-for-3 with RISP. Meanwhile, against Matanzas' right-handed starter, César García, Artemisa scored in the first inning. A single by Yoán Moreno and a walk by Luis González started the inning for the Hunters. Nevertheless, Dayán García was retired in a double play, leaving Moreno on third. Frederich Cepeda's single to left would help him score minutes later. García recovered and had a quality start. His six innings of work always included at least one runner on base. However, in two of them, the defense contributed with two errors, and three times he managed to induce double plays that prevented runs. Raúl González led off the seventh with a double. García had already thrown 96 pitches, and manager Armando Ferrer called his bullpen. Reliever Noelvis Entenza entered the game, and he retired José Jiménez on a grounder to short that moved the runner to third. Carlos de la Tejera, however, was intentionally walked. When Andy Cosme followed with a ground ball to third base, Gracial made an error allowing González to score. Artemisa led 2-0. The inning extended when Entenza hit Moreno to load the bases. But after retiring Luis González in a fly-out, Dayán García's single to center gave Artemisa a 3-0 lead. A bad baserunning error led to Moreno's third out. As a result of Artemisa's victory, the series is now leveled at two wins, which ensures the return to Matanzas for Game 6. Now Matanzas has to stop the Hunters' winning streak at 26 de Julio Stadium in Game 5 on Sunday. The game will be a rematch of the opener, with Matanzas ace Yoennis Yera facing Geonel Gutiérrez.

Game 4 of the series will be played Saturday afternoon Finals of the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball Game 3: Matanzas 8, Artemisa 4 Matanzas leads the series 2-1 The Matanzas Crocodiles are now just two games away from winning the first Elite League in history after a 3-1 Game 3 victory over the Artemisa Hunters at the 26 de Julio Stadium in Artemisa Friday afternoon. Erisbel Arruebarrena hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to give the Crocodiles a 5-4 lead that they never relinquished. Matanzas' starter Yadián Martínez was also key in the victory. Box score In the bottom of the second inning, Artemisa scored three runs against starter Yadián Martínez. The Hunters' consistent offense made itself felt in that inning with five consecutive hits. They were Dennis Laza, Raúl González, José Jiménez, Carlos de la Tejera, and Osbel Pacheco, the last two each with one RBI. Eventually, Martínez stopped the attack, retiring the next three batters. However, not before accepting a ground ball by Yoán Moreno to third base that allowed Jiménez to score. Albert Valladares, who recorded the second-most victories for Mayabeque in the last 62 National Series with 5, had no issues during the first two innings. He retired six of the eight batters he faced. He walked and allowed a single in the second inning but dominated the offensively slumping Andrys Pérez. After leading by three runs, he allowed Matanzas' first run in the third inning. It was an inning that could have been more productive for Matanzas. Following a single by Manduley, a forced out on Ariel Sánchez's hit, and a wild pitch, Yurisbel Gracial drove in the first run with a single to left. Nonetheless, Valladares was able to dominate Rusney Castillo despite hitting the next batter, Yordanis Samón. To this point in the series, the ex-Boston Red Sox player Castillo had gone 1-for-8 against Artemisa's pitchers, 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, a walk and have been hit by a pitch once. During the regular season, Matanzas' lineup terrorized pitchers, but it needs bats like Castillo's in this championship series. And an inning later Valladares was chased off the mound by Crocodiles’ hitters. To begin the inning, Arruebarrena singled, and after Noroña was out, Andrys followed with a single that allowed Arruebarrena to score after a defensive error. Suddenly, the offensive power of the Matanzas arrived, when Eduardo Blanco hit a two-run home run to the left to turn the score around and put Matanzas ahead 4-3. After 3 1/3 innings and four runs on six hits including a home run, Valladares was done. In the game, he walked and struck out one. After Artemisa’s reliever Diorvis Navarro entered the game in the fourth inning, he worked through the fifth unscathed. As the game entered the bottom of the fifth, centerfielder Yoán Moreno led the inning smashing a fastball from Martínez over the left field wall. This tied the game at 4-4. Both teams had opportunities in the sixth. Navarro was removed from the mound by Matanzas in that inning after Blanco singled and Manduley doubled. However, reliever Israel Sánchez got the second out on a grounder to second base from Sánchez. With first base open, Gracial was intentionally walked. The strategy worked when Samón hit a fly ball to center field for the third out. For Artemisa, with Martínez still on the mound and two outs, Pacheco singled to right and Andy Cosme hit a double to the deep right field corner. However, a relief throw from Ariel Sánchez to Yordan Manduley threw Pacheco out at the plate, keeping the score intact. To be honest, Pacheco had no chance to score. It was Yadián Martínez's last inning. After being acquired by Matanzas as reinforcements before the finals, the right-hander had a quality outing in Game 3. Martínez pitched six solid innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, and only had one ineffective inning, the second, where at least one run could have been prevented. Within an inning, Martínez was in line to clinch a crucial victory. In the top of the seventh inning, Matanzas responded immediately. With Rusney Castillo striking out, Erisbel Arruebarrena homered deep to center, putting Yadián in a position to win Game 3. Three important runs would extend Matanzas' lead in the eighth. After an error and a walk, Gracial drove in two with a double that took reliever Sánchez out of the game. When Osdany Rodríguez came in relief, he walked three consecutive batters, forcing the third run. Matanzas was leading 8-4. After Yadián Martínez's exit, Frank L. Medina took over. He faced 10 batters and allowed only two hits in 2 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball for the hold. Closing out the victory in the ninth, with two outs, was closer Armando Dueñas. Game 4 will take place this Saturday at 1:30 pm. For Matanzas, César García will start, and for Artemisa, Erly Casanova.

Game 3 of the series will be played at Artemisa on Friday afternoon Finals of the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball Game 2: Artemisa 6, Matanzas 3 The series is tied 1-1 Raúl González hit a two-run double and Andy Cosme added a two-run single, and the Artemisa Hunters rolled to a 6-3 victory in Game 2 of the II Elite League Finals on Wednesday night. Only six batters into the game, they led 2-0, and by the fourth inning, they had doubled the lead. Box score In addition, they scored two more runs to tie the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Friday afternoon at 26 de Julio Stadium in Artemisa, where the home team Artemisa is 14-8 in this Elite League season. Hunters got off to a quick start. Frederich Cepeda walked and Dennis Laza followed with a double in the second inning against starter Yoel Mojena. Following their close Game 1 loss, Raúl González hit a two-run double to center field that gave Artemisa a 2-0 lead early on. Two batters later, Mojena was out of the game. During this postseason, the right-hander has struggled. He has not advanced past the second inning in either of his two outings, each completing 1 1/3 innings. Currently, he has an awful 16.36 ERA, allowing 6 hits, 4 of them doubles. It didn't get any better for Matanzas. Until the third inning, Eriel Carrillo retired four consecutive hitters before walking Cepeda and Laza back-to-back to start the fourth inning. In no time at all, Matanzas' manager pulled his reliever and brought in Haykel Parra. Parra, however, delivered a rollercoaster of relief. After retiring González on a fly-out to right-field, he hit José Jiménez, then retired Osbel Pacheco on another fly-out to right, but allowed Cosme to bring two runners home with his single to center. There was a 4-0 lead for Artemisa. An inning later and Parra was also out of the game, after walking Luis González to start the inning. Veteran Noelvis Entenza, who provided an excellent relief and took the win in Game 6 of the semifinals against Las Tunas, entered the game. In the process, he allowed Dayán García to hit a single to left that sent González to third. Afterwards, Entenza forced Cepeda to hit a 4663 double play, but could not prevent González from scoring. Artemisa had a solid 5-0 lead. Meanwhile, Artemisa's starter Raymond Figueredo was throwing a gem against one of the best lineups in the Elite League. In four of the first five innings he pitched, the right-hander faced a minimum of three batters, allowing only one hit to Rusney Castillo in the second inning. The third inning saw him hit Andrys Pérez. He then retired the next eight batters in a row until the fifth inning. In total, he needed only 52 pitches. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Matanzas made a comeback. Andrys Pérez and Eduardo Blanco hit back-to-back singles and an error put runners at third and second without outs. Yulieski González called his bullpen and brought Osdany Rodriguez. Despite retiring Yordan Manduley for the first out, Rodriguez allowed Ariel Sánchez's two-run double to center. Samón followed with a single to left after Gracial gave up the second out on an infield fly, bringing Sánchez home and closing the score to 5-3. In a close Game 1, Moinelo did not pitch, and manager Yulieski González was criticized for not using his best reliever. González did not want to repeat the same mistake. Matanzas lineup, if it wanted to really come back in this game, would have to do so against Artemisa's finest bullpen. However, in an atypical move, Moinelo entered the game to complete a 10-out game. Moinelo didn't disappoint. After walking Castillo, he struck out Erisbel Arruebarrena to end the threat. During the next three and a half innings, Moinelo allowed no hits while striking out five and walking three. The save was his third of the postseason.

Noroña went 3-for-4 in the game while closer Armando Dueñas earned the win Finals of the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball Game 1: Matanzas 6, Artemisa 5 Matanzas leads the series 1-0 In Game 1 of the II Elite League Finals, the Matanzas Crocodiles defeated the Artemisa Hunters 6-5 in dramatic fashion. The Crocodiles won with a home run by José A. Noroña in the bottom of the 8th inning, energizing the home crowd at Matanzas' Victoria de Girón Stadium. The game ended when Artemisa failed to score with runners on first and second in the ninth inning. Box score Matanzas triumphed with a solo home run by José A. Noroña in the bottom of the eighth inning. This enraged a crowd of 14,905 that gathered at Victoria de Girón stadium. Despite the ups and downs throughout the game, both teams were able to share the lead and make comebacks on the scoreboard. Matanzas scored the first run against left-handed starter Geonel Gutiérrez in the second inning, thanks to a single and two of Artemisa's three errors in the game, but the latter responded quickly by taking the lead in the top of the third inning. Against Yoennis Yera, Osbel Pacheco was walked and advanced to third on an Andy Cosme single. Minutes later, Luis González singled to center field to bring Pacheco home with the tying run. Dayán Garcaía' single to center made it 2-0, and Frederich Cepeda's hit made it 3-1. Erisbel Arruebarrena and José Noroña hit singles to begin the bottom of the fourth inning. A sacrifice hit by Andrys Pérez moved the runners. A conservative play too early in the game proved effective, as Eduardo Blanco followed with a 2-run RBI single to left field. This tied the game at 3-3. It wouldn't take long for Artemisa to respond again. After consecutive singles by Yoán Moreno and Luis González to begin the fifth inning, Dayán García's out was followed by Frederich Cepeda's double, giving Artemisa a 4-3 lead.  Cepeda's double was his 446th in National Series history. In the play, González was unnecessarily sent home, and he was put out to end the inning. It was Yera's last batter of the night. During this 2024 postseason, the left-handed pitcher had a 2-0 record and only one earned run in 11 innings. In Game 1 in 5 innings, he threw 88 pitches while striking out only two. He allowed four earned runs on eight hits and a walk. This first outing of the final ended without a decision for Yera. The tie was provided by Yurisbel Gracial's solo home run to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning. It was Gracial's fifth homer and ninth RBI in 30 PA this postseason. At 4-4, the game was tied. Gutiérrez returned for one more inning. He pitched a scoreless sixth inning, despite Noroña's second single of the night. 93 pitches were thrown by the left-hander and he was certainly not well-defended in that second inning. In six innings, he allowed four runs, three of them earned, while striking out two and walking two. When it came down to the bullpen of both teams deciding this game, Matanzas undoubtedly won. After winning Game 5 of the semifinals against Industriales, Artemisa sent right-hander José I. Bermúdez to work in the seventh inning. The young right-hander walked Yordan Manduley to start the inning. Ariel Sánchez was ready to bunt, but Bermúdez threw a wild pitch, moving Manduley to second. The runner was moved to third by Sanchez's excellent bunt, and Gracial was intentionally walked. Minutes later, with Yordanis Samón at bat, the home umpire called a balk, and Manduley scored with the 5-4 lead. Artemisa tied it again in the 8th inning against reliever Frank L. Medina. With one out, consecutive singles by Dennis Laza, Raúl González, and José A. Jiménez made the score 5-5 and sent Medina back to the dugout. Medina, who threw 34 pitches, ultimately pitched 2 1/3 innings with four hits for one run. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to keep the lead at 5-4. Closing Armando Duelas was called upon after three appearances against Las Tunas in the semifinals. He was saved by second baseman Manduley's superb fielding on Osbel Pacheco's apparent right-field single. In the end, the inning ended with a 6443 double play thanks to Manduley and Arruebarrena. The bottom of the 8th inning showed clearly that it wasn't reliever Bermúdez's night. In a gamble, Yulieski González sent Bermúdez back to the mound. He got the first two outs of the inning but then was the victim of Noroña's home run to left field over the first pitch he saw. The solo shot made it 6-5 and unleashed madness throughout the stadium. Noroña, who before Game 1 had a .091 (11-1) batting average with a home run and two RBIs, in this game was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a decisive home run. The tension returned to the stadium in the ninth, when Dueñas allowed Luis González's third hit of the night and walked Dayán García. With the tying run at second, Dueñas ended the agony by retiring Cepeda on a deep fly to left field. Dueñas was credited with the win. This Wednesday, at 6:30 pm (ET), is Game 2. It will be Yoel Mojena for Matanzas and Raymond Figueredo for Artemisa.

The Crocodiles of Matanzas, in their first participation, advance to an Elite League final Semifinals of the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball Matanzas 6, Las Tunas 4 Matanzas won the series 4-2 With the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, Rusney Castillo was hit by a pitch to give Matanzas a 5-4 that will never surrender, and the Matanzas Crocodiles defeated the Las Tunas Lumberjacks 6-4 to advance to the Elite League Finals against Artemisa. Next Tuesday, Game 1 of the Final begins at 6:30pm (ET). Box score For Matanzas, Noelvis Entenza and Frank L. Medina combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits with six strikeouts and one walk, for a bullpen game that was all they needed. Defending national champions Las Tunas took a 4-0 lead after four innings against starter César García. A home run by Denis Peña starting the third inning, along with a costly error by Yurisbel Gracial at third, a walk, and two hits, helped put the Lumberjacks ahead 3-0. This sent starter García back to the dugout. Denis Peña, Osvaldo Abreu, and Héctor Castillo singled consecutively in the fourth inning, forcing Haykel Parra from the mound and extending the lead to 4-0. With two runners on base, veteran Noelvis Entenza entered the game. Entering Game 6, Entenza was 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in two reliefs this postseason. However, he was in prime form in Game 6, blanking Las Tunas on one hit and five strikeouts through 3 1/3 innings before giving up the ball to closer Medina. His effort earned him the victory. It was up to Matanzas big bats to make a comeback in the game. And they did. Yadián Martínez had some trouble in the first inning, putting a runner in scoring position with one out. However, he eventually got the better of two of the most dangerous Matanzas hitters, Yordanis Samón and Rusney Castillo. It was impressive from that point forward, he retired eight straight batters and 12 of the next 13. Then came the fateful fifth inning. With one out, Andrys Pérez was hit by a pitch and Eduardo Blanco singled to follow. After that, Las Tunas' defense imploded, committing two errors that allowed Matanzas to score three runs. Trying to complete a double play, Osvaldo Abreu threw to first erratically on an easy ground ball to second, allowing Matanzas to score.  On the next pitch, Ariel Sánchez's grounder to first led to an error by first baseman Rafael Viñales, which resulted in two more runs reaching home plate. Minutes later Yurisbel Gracial came through in the clutch, crushing a Martínez changeup over the center field wall, tying the game, and sending the home crowd - of 15,583 - into a euphoric frenzy. In the end, Las Tunas couldn't recover. It was a night to forget for Las Tunas' starter in the fifth inning. There was only one mistake Yadián made, against Gracial, but he accepted four unearned runs in the end. Yadián Martínez finished the sixth inning, and Las Tunas looked to their bullpen for help. An inning later the game was over. Against reliever Rodolfo Díaz, Matanzas put a runner in scoring position with a single from Yordan Manduley and a sacrifice bunt from Ariel Sánchez. With first base open, Gracial's hot bat was sent to first. Minutes later, Díaz walked Yordanis Samón to load the bases. Afterward, Las Tunas' closer, Alberto P. Civil, entered the game, but at the wrong time. Instead of reliever Díaz, Civil, one of the best arms in his bullpen, was supposed to pitch to Samón. Pantoja paid the price for this mistake. Anyways, Civil was ineffective this time, hitting Rusney Castillo with the first pitch to give Matanzas a decisive 5-4 lead, which was followed by Eriel Arruebarrena's sacrifice fly for the final score of 6-4. Díaz got the loss after pitching 1/3 of an inning, allowing two earned runs, one hit and two walks. Frank L. Medina tossed two scoreless innings in relief for the Crocodiles to record his second save. Reinforcements for the II Elite League Finals Further announcements were made regarding the one reinforcement selected by each team for the finals. Matanzas selected Yadián Martínez, the pitcher they faced in Game 6 of the semifinals, while Artemisa opted for Industriales' pitcher Raymond Figueredo. II Elite League Finals Schedule Game 1, Tuesday, January 16, 6:30 pm, Victoria de Girón Stadium, Art @ Mtz Game 2, Wednesday, January 17, 6:30 pm, Victoria de Girón Stadium, Art @ Mtz Game 3, Friday, January 19, 1:30 pm, 26 de Julio Stadium, Mtz @ Art Game 4, Saturday, January 20, 1:30 pm, 26 de Julio Stadium, Mtz @ Art Game 5, Sunday, January 21, 1:30 pm, 26 de Julio Stadium, Mtz @ Art (If necessary) Game 6, Tuesday, January 23, 6:30 pm, Victoria de Girón Stadium, Art @ Mtz (If necessary) Game 7, Wednesday, January 24, 6:30 pm, Victoria de Girón Stadium, Art @ Mtz (If necessary)