Cuban pitching remains steady at NPB, the others at a solid pace

HAVANA, Cuba, May 3 (ACN) Cuban pitchers Livan Moinelo and Yariel Rodriguez played today with efficiency their roles as relievers, improved particular numbers and supported the triumph of their respective clubs at the Japanese Professional Baseball League.

At the Pay Pay Dome in Fukuoka, and in the Pacific zone, the SoftBank Falcons defeated the Orix Buffaloes 7-3, a game in which the left-hander Moinelo closed the ninth inning without a hit or run, to lower his effectiveness to 1.54.

For the Falcons, outfielder Yurisbel Gracial added a single in four innings to keep his average at 255.

Meanwhile, in the Central League, the Chunichi Dragons beat the DeNA All-Stars 7-3 at the Yokohama Stadium. In that game, Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez used his fastball to pitch an inning of relief at the rate of one hit and no runs and was able to lower his ERA to 1.35.
For Chunichi, Cuban starter Dayan Viciedo went 5-1, with a single and a tow, to see his average drop to 255.

And at the Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Cuban Adeiny Hechavarria had two hits in three at-bats, scored once and towed a teammate in the Lotte Marinos' 2-4 loss to the Seibu Lions.

The slugger, who picked up his first hit since April 10 and was hitting poorly, raised his average to 183 and his tow total to five.