Tigres Making Progress in Cuban Baseball
Sunday, June 9, 2024
It’s as if the Tigres are following the lyrics “step by step, soft, softly…” to the letter, but the truth is that there are only nine games left for the official schedule of the 63rd National Baseball Series. With their success this Saturday against Cienfuegos 8×3, they maintain a four-game lead over the ninth-place team. It would not be surprising if they once again make it to the postseason, something that few predicted in the pre-season analysis.
In this latest victory, Osvaldo Vázquez shined, a man who could determine the fate of the team in the remaining championship games. This time, he drove in three runs and hit four hits in five at-bats, including a home run and three doubles. Vázquez has been injured for a significant part of the season, and upon his return, it was clear he was not in his best form. However, it seems that the cleanup hitter of the three-time national champions is finding his groove and can contribute significantly to his team’s cause.
Once again, praise goes to the young pitcher Osdiel Ponce, who in five and two-thirds innings only allowed one run, which was rather messy, and limited the southern team to just two hits. This win marked his seventh victory and lowered his Earned Run Average to 2.33, making him a leader in this category. Additionally, opposing batters are only hitting .218 against the Avileño.
The Tigres totaled 14 hits in the game, with another standout performance from Fernando De La Paz, who had three hits in five at-bats, including his fourth home run of the season.
The game remained tight until the eighth inning (4×3), but at that point, Dany Miranda’s team scored four times by connecting five hits, including Vázquez’s seventh home run of the season, this time with two teammates on base.
This Sunday, starting at 10:00 in the morning, both teams will face off again at the 5 de Septiembre stadium. Dachel Duquesne is expected to take the mound for the Tigres. Could it be the day of his 100th win in National Series?
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