Matanzas cruises through first quarter of national baseball series

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 7 (acn) Matanzas completed its fourth straight sweep by beating Granma 6-3, to increase its wide lead at the top of the Cuban baseball championship in its 56th edition.

Veteran Jonder Martinez added his fifth win of the season in a solid eight-inning opening during which he allowed six hits and two earned runs, while Leandro Martínez took the loss, with five runs allowed in just one inning of work.
Ariel Sanchez batted 2 for 4 with a double and one RBI to offensively highlight by the Matanzas Crocodiles, seconded by Anibal Medina, Victor V. Mesa, Eduardo Blanco and Ariel Martinez, who drove in two runs each.
After this result, Matanzas achieved its 13th win in line and commands the standings of the national baseball classic with near-perfect balance of 22-2, seven and a half games ahead of Villa Clara (12-7), Holguin (13-8) and Camagüey (14-9).
Camagüey deployed an overwhelming attack of 14 hits to knock out Villa Clara 11-1 with highlight for catcher Yendry Tellez, 3 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs.
Holguin lost 4-7 to Cienfuegos with three RBIs per capita to the record of Barbaro Rodriguez and Richer Lopez for the cause of the winners, while Geydi Soler hit a solo homer for the losing side.
Danel Castro and Yordanis Alarcon both homered and drove in three runs apiece in the 9-2 victory of Las Tunas over the current monarch Ciego de Avila, with Alejandro Meneses as winning pitcher.
In other results of the day, Industriales overcame 6-2 Sancti Spiritus, Isla de la Juventud defeated Mayabeque 6-3, Santiago de Cuba won 4-3 over Pinar del Rio and Guantanamo beat 10-3 Artemisa.
The Cuban baseball championship resumes today with the subseries Artemisa-Matanzas, Industriales-Villa Clara, Isla de la Juventud-Sancti Spiritus, Cienfuegos-Mayabeque, Ciego de Avila-Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey-Granma, Holguin-Las Tunas and Guantanamo-Pinar del Rio.