Cuban Despaigne homers twice, leads Softbank to Pacific League final

HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 16 (acn) Cuban DH Alfredo Despaigne blasted two solo home runs and was instrumental in the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 5-2 win over the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the 2018 Pacific League Climax Series of the Japanese Professional Baseball League (NPB).

Despaigne, who hit his 32nd homer of the season, batted 3 for 4, with two RBIs and same amount of runs, while his countryman Yurisbel Gracial hit 1 for 3, with a walk.
With this victory, the Hawks advanced to the final stage of the Pacific League Climax Series, in which they will face next Wednesday the Saitama Seibu Lions, who have a powerful lineup and appear as favorite to reach the ticket to the Japan Series (NPB grand final).
In the three games of this stage, the powerful Cuban slugger had batting average (BA) of .545, including three homers and six RBIs, while utility Gracial, who is playing in the leftfield, has BA of .300 (3 hits in 10 at-bats).
In the Central League, the rivals will be the Yomiuri Giants and the Hiroshima Toyo Carps.