Cuban pitcher propels his team in Japanese baseball league

HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 17 (ACN) Cuban pitcher Liván Moinelo had another quality performance and led the Softbank Hawks to a 7-2 victory over the Nippon Ham Fighters to place them one win away from the Pacific League title in the Japanese baseball league.

In front of more than 40,000 fans crowding the Pay Pay Dome in Fukuoka, the left-hander pitched a six-inning stint in which he allowed a couple of runs and one walk and struck out four batters, enough to notch up his first victory in the postseason.

Moinelo, considered Cuba's prime starter for the Premier 12 tournament, scheduled to be held in November, was the league’s most effective pitcher during the regular campaign, boasting a mere 1.88 ERA record that no other Latin has ever achieved in the history of Japanese baseball.

Furthermore, in his first game as a starter after seven seasons as a reliever, he was fourth in wins with 11 and in strikeouts with 155 in 163 innings.