Cuban Ariel Martinez shines at NPB, his compatriot Moinelo with good pace

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 3 (ACN) Cuban Ariel Martinez hit a double and a home run today to help his Nippon Ham Fighters win 6-3 against the SoftBank Falcons in the Japan Professional Baseball League.

In front of more than 40,000 fans gathered at the Pay Pay Dome of Fukuoka, Martinez threw the ball away from his compatriot Livan Moinelo, the most effective pitcher in the league and who is working to win the triple crown of pitching.

The Cuban hit 12 home runs in the season and came within three of equaling his personal record in those lands, achieved last year.

With this performance, the catcher and starter, who also plays in the outfield, reached 52 RBIs and accumulated 81 hits in 342 appearances for an offensive average of 237, fifth among Latinos in the Pacific League.

Moinelo, on the other hand, allowed six runs in just three innings of work and signed his worst game so far this season, after having been totally dominant in his previous appearances.

The Cuban left-hander, used this season as a starter for the first time in his career, is the leader in ERA (1.97), second in wins (10) and third in strikeouts (137) with the three he struck out this day.

His Falcons are the Pacific leaders with 74 hits, 42 losses and three ties, followed by Martinez's team with a 62-50 record and 11 ties.

The two athletes will be key players for Cuba in the upcoming Premier 12 tournament that will begin in November, where the best-ranked teams in the world will be gathered, according to the World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WBSC).