CUBA – The waiting is over. It’s time to define who is the best team during the first third of the 2009-2010 season.

Tuesday will start a three-game series between the Guantánamo Indians and the Sancti Spíritus Roosters at Nguyen Van Troi Park in Guantánamo.

The Indians enter the series in first place in the East Division of the 49 National Series with a record of 19-4. They lost two of three during the past weekend against the Tobacco Growers. At home they are 8-3.

The Roosters come into the series standing at 17-5, leading the West Division three-and-a-half games on top of Pinar del Rio. They have won six in a row and swept the Granma Stallions and the Holguin Dogs at home during the last two series. On the road they are 8-2.

The historical games between these two teams is almost even, 71 Roosters’ wins for 76 Indians. But most of those games were when both teams were very different. This is the 2009-2010 season, where Indians and Roosters are playing their best baseball in years.

Let’s look at each of the upcoming games:

Tuesday, December 1: Yandri Lestapier (1-0, 3.77) vs Angel Peña (2-0, 2.35)
Peña has been pitching lights out as of late and Lestapier is pitching like the starter we all have expected him to be. Peña is in the middle of his career and this season had a couple of good starts. The key for the Indians is to pound Peña early, make him throw a lot of pitches and make mistakes. Lestapier must do what he’s done the past few weeks, which is keep attacking the zone and be fearless, especially playing at home.

Wednesday, December 2: Onelkis García (2-0, 2.14) vs Noelvis Hernández (2-1, 5.18)
This game will have one of the Roosters veterans against one of the youngest member of Indian’s rotation. But García had showed his class during his four starts this season. He has also 24 SO in 21.0 innings. This will be the toughest game for the Roosters to win, basically because Hernández is one of the worst starters they have during this season, allowing more than five runs per game, and facing a powerful lineup. Perhaps this is the best chance for the Indians to win.

Thursday, December 3: Dalier Hinojosa (4-0, 3.50) vs Ismel Jiménez (1-0, 0.49)
This is probably the best of the three pitching matchups. Dalier Hinojosa is a solid ace who during this season is giving the other teams troubles. The right-handed has been very strong since the beginning of the season and has been striking out a lot of hitters (35 SO in 36 IP). Jiménez’ numbers aren’t like his 2008-2009 stats at this moment, but he had pitched two excellent games after recovering from an injury. Jiménez, when the teams needs, is almost like another ace. This game should define the series.

Those were the pitching matchups. Now, let’s look at the tentative lineups.

Guantánamo Indians Probable Lineup

SS Dainer Moreira: .330, 0 HR, 11 RBI
2B Yoilán Cercé: .300, 3 HR, 13 RBI
CF Giorvis Duvergel: .314, 2 HR, 12 RBI
3B Vismay Santos: .405, 4 HR, 22 RBI
1B Yoennis Southerán: .325, 3 HR, 22 RBI
DH Michel Gorguet: .329, 8 HR, 30 RBI
LF Kenen Bailly: .329, 1 HR, 15 RBI
C Roberto Borrero: .293, 0 HR, 7 RBI
RF Leonelkis Escalante: .357, 0 HR, 7 RBI

Note: Onelio Fondín is the backup outfielder and could get work in, if Escalante, who is having a great season, cannot hit a deep pitching staff.

Sancti Spíritus Roosters Probable Lineup:

2B José R. Alfonso: .259, 4 HR, 6 RBI
1B Yunier Mendoza: .407, 2 HR, 14 RBI
3B Yulieski Gourriel: .329, 7 HR, 19 RBI
LF Frederich Cepeda: .240, 3 HR, 7 RBI
C Eriel Sánchez: .314, 3 HR, 18 RBI
CF Yunieski Gourriel: .329, 3 HR, 17 RBI
DH Yenier Bello: .182, 0 HR, 6 RBI
RF Robersis Ramos: .318, 0 HR, 0 RBI
SS Orlando Acebey: .321, 1 HR, 7 RBI

Note: Liván Monteagudo (.200, 4 HR, 11 RBI) could platoon as the other right fielder or designated hitter if Bello or Ramos does not play.

So there you have it. You have the pitching matchups and the tentative lineups for the games in this three-game series. Both teams are looking to continue their success during the 2009-2010 season and they will show it.

Series Prediction:

I am picking the Roosters to win two of three against Guantánamo.

Ray Otero can be reached at: elistas@baseballdecuba.com

Photo: Designated hitter Michel Gorguet is leading the Cuban League in RBIs with 30.

Visit BaseballdeCuba.com for complete Cuban Baseball news, stats, videos and much more.

Tags: Cuba