Cocodrilos de Matanzas knocked out Leones de Industriales 11-0 in seven innings, and put the semifinal of the 64th National Baseball Series 2-0 in their favor.
At their home stadium, Victoria de Girón, everything went right for the Matanzas team, while nothing went right for the Havanateam.
The game resembled a training session for the home team, who were under no pressure, holding a 1-0 lead against an experienced opponent, but one with serious inaccuracies that are unacceptable at this level of baseball.
The Cocodrilos decided the game with a six-run rally in the third inning, against the pitching of starter and loser Carlos Manuel Cuesta and relievers Giandy Gutiérrez and Julio Rodríguez.
Luis Ángel Sánchez led the Matanzas attack with 12 hits, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, thus contributing to the eighth victory for left-hander Yamichel Pérez, who scattered seven hits over 6.0 innings without issuing a walk.
For the Leones: Terrible offensive production. In 16 innings, they have gone 15 consecutive innings without scoring, as their only run came from a solo home run by Yasiel Santoya in the first inning of the opening game.
If manager Guillermo Carmona’s team doesn’t shake off this dangerous slump when they host their well-coached rival at the Coloso del Cerro stadium starting Wednesday, the series will never return to the mud.
The other semifinal playoff began with a 7-4 victory for the host and defending champion Leñadores de Las Tunas over the Cazadores de Artemisa.
At Julio Antonio Mella Stadium, the Las Tunas team was losing 2-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning against left-hander Geonel Gutiérrez. But they rallied and put together a decisive four-run rally.
They got five consecutive hits, the last two being doubles by Henry Quintero and Luis Antonio Pérez.
Starting pitcher Garcés took charge of maintaining the lead, finding a second wind and better control of his commands to pitch 6.0 innings with 6 strikeouts, allowing four hits and earning his 13th win of the season.
Keniel Ferraz recorded his seventh save. The two teams will play the second game on Tuesday at the same venue.
