Cuban Gracial continues shining in Japanese Professional Baseball

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 9 (acn) Cuban Yurisbel Gracial blasted his twenty-fourth homer but could not prevent the 11-6 loss of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to the Chiba Lotte Marines, in the Japanese Professional Baseball League (NPB).

RF Gracial batted 2 for 3 also including a single, drove in two and scored two runs, thus raising his batting average (BA) to .318 and his RBI total to 60.
His compatriot and teammate, DH Alfredo Despaigne, had no similar luck and hit 0 for 3, scored once, with a strikeout and was also hit by pitch once, to reduce his BA to .264.
Despite the defeat, the Hawks appear first in the NPB Pacific League with balance of 70 wins, 55 losses and four draws, only half a game over the Saitama Seibu Lions.