Matanzas keeps awesome pace in Cuban baseball

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 6 (acn) Matanzas continued its amazing pace in the Cuban baseball championship by beating 2-1 Granma achieving thus its twelfth straight victory and ratified itself on top of the standings.

The Crocodiles secured victory in the ninth inning with two RBIs by Yasiel Santoya, while the starting pitcher Irandy Castro highlighted on the mound when allowing five hits in six innings and a third, although the win went to reliever Yoandry Ruiz.
Now the squad coached by Victor Mesa leads the national baseball classic with almost perfect balance of 21 wins and only two losses, six and a half games ahead of Villa Clara, which won 8-6 over Camagüey.
First baseman Norel Gonzalez led Villa Clara´s offensive by hitting 2 for 4 with a homer and three runs scored, seconded by Randy Portal, Yurien Vizcaino and Yulexis La Rosa, authors of two RBIs per capita, with Alain Sanchez as winner and save to the record of Yasmany Hernandez.
Holguín beat 3-0 Cienfuegos to climb to third seat in the standings, with solid pitching performance by starter Luis Angel Gomez and reliever Yunier Suarez, while outfielder Geydi Soler hit 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs.
The current monarch of Ciego de Avila lost 5-9 to Las Tunas, with offensive prominence of catcher Rafael Viñales with a homer and two RBIs to help Yoalkis Cruz achieving his fourth win of the season after allowing nine hits and three earned runs in seven innings.
In other results of the day, Sancti Spiritus knocked out 11-1 Industriales, Isla de la Juventud beat 6-4 Mayabeque, Santiago de Cuba won 10-7 over Pinar del Rio and Artemisa overcame 2-0 Guantanamo.
Matanzas commands the standings with balance of 21-2, followed by Villa Clara (12-6), Holguin (13-7), Ciego de Avila (14-9), Camagüey (13-9), Granma (11-11), Las Tunas (11-11), Cienfuegos (11-12), Guantanamo (11-12), Industriales (10-12), Artemisa (10-13), Pinar del Río (8-11), Isla de la Juventud (8 -12), Santiago de Cuba (7-15), Sancti Spiritus (7-15) and Mayabeque (6-16).