Cuban Despaigne homers for the seventh time in Japan

HAVANA, Cuba, May 12 (acn) Cuban Alfredo Despaigne hit his seventh homer of the season in the Japanese Professional Baseball when his team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, lost 9-5 to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Despaigne was ratified as the main slugger of the Marines and also leads the squad in RBIs with 22; his batting average is .273, product of 39 hits in 143 at-bats, including 10 doubles.

Now the Chiba Lotte ranks second in the Pacific League in Japan with balance of 20 wins and 16 losses, only surpassed by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (22-8).

Despaigne debuted in the Japanese professional baseball circuit in 2014, when he had a batting average of .311 with 13 doubles, 12 homers and 33 RBIs, while in 2015 his BA was of .258, with 18 doubles, equal amount of home runs and 62 RBIs.

Alfredo Despaigne is one of three players inserted in the top baseball circuit of the Asian nation by means of the Cuban Baseball Federation, along with pitcher Hector Manuel Mendoza and outfielder Jose Garcia Adolis, both hired by the Yomiuri Giants.

Mendoza has only had two relief appearances with the Giants, in three innings he has allowed four hits and three earned runs, for a poor 9.00 ERA, plus three strikeouts and two walks.