Industriales Blank Defending Champions In Cuban League

CUBA - German Mesa couldn’t have had a better debut as manager of Industriales, with his team defeating Santiago de Cuba, the defending league champions, on a 4-0 shutout on Tuesday night.

Despite allowing 11 walks in the first 4.1 innings —only three short of the game record of 14 by Ariel Prieto— left hander Ian Rendon managed to turn over the mound to Odrisamer Despaigne still with the possibility of a no-hit no-run game.

Between the two pitchers they silenced a batting order that has not awoken in the first two games of the season. By the end of the match, Industriales had 11 hits to 3 from Santiago.

Rookie manager Luis Giraldo Casanova saw his team, Pinar del Rio, win its second game of the season, 5 to 1 over hard hitting Las Tunas. Veteran Pedro Luis Lazo picked up the win and is now 11 short of the coveted 250 victories. Yosvani Peraza went 2-for-4 for Pinar including his first RBI of the season.

Luis Ulacia, another new manager, started on the right foot in leading Camaguey over Isla de la Juventud 3-2. Isla pitcher Carlos Yanes was unable to even his win-loss record in his 675th career outing. At 44, Yanes is in his 26th season in the Cuban big leagues.

After maintaining a string of 15 victories during the past season, Lefthander Yulieski Gonzalez of La Habana lost his opener 6-1 to Guantanamo while Yandri Lestapier picked up the win allowing only one run in 8.1 innings.

Yulieski Gourriel, playing shortstop, homered and drove in four runs as Sancti Spiritus opened with an 8-4 win over Granma. Meanwhile, Metropolitanos defeated Ciego de Avila 8-2; Villa Clara over Matanzas 7-4 despite a homer by Yoandry Garlobo, and Holguin beat Cienfuegos 8-4 with Luis Miguel Rodriguez getting his first win of the season.

(This article was written by Cuban sports writer Ariel Coya)

Courtesy of BaseballdeCuba.com