(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
 Granma sweeps Ciego de Ávila to win first Cuban title
Nederlands
 BAYAMO, Granma (Cuba) -
Alazanes de Granma came from behind on Sunday (January 22) and won 3-2 in Game 4 to win the best-of-seven Final of the Cuban Serie Nacional de Béisbol.
With the win, Granma swept and dethroned defending champion Tigres de Ciego de Ávila to capture its first-ever Championship-title.
Granma won 4-3 in 10 innings in the opener on Wednesday and 3-2 in the next game on Thursday.
On Saturday, a convincing 10-1 win followed.
The highest finish for Granma before today was third place in the 1988-1989 season.
The team finished in seventh place last season.
At Estadio Mártires de Barbados in Bayamo, Granma trailed 2-0 halfway the fourth inning.
The home team then cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth and came alongside in the seventh.
Granma scored what would be the winning run in the eighth and hold onto the minimal lead in the ninth.
...Frank Morejon was the catcher of Granma...
...Here, he dives back to 2nd base playing for Cuba...
...at the Haarlem Baseball Week 2012 in Haarlem (Neth.)...
...Dutch Short Stop Michael Duursma waits for the ball...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Ciego de Ávila, which outhit Granma 7-4, came close to opening the score in the top of the first inning off of starter Leandro Martinez.
The lefthander gave up a lead-off double to Julio Pablo Martínez, who then moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt.
However, he stranded when two flyouts followed.
In the third, Ciego de Ávila left another runner on third base.
Ruben Valdes led off with a single, advanced on a grounder and a wild pitch, but was left behind.
After being retired in order in the first two innings, Granma got its first baserunners in the bottom of the third.
The first two batters singled, but two force play-grounders followed and in the end, the home team left runners behind on first and third base.
Ciego de Ávila then did open the score in the top of the fourth inning, scoring twice.
Donald Duarte and Yoelvis Fiss walked, then Osvaldo Vázquez singled to bring in the first run.
Hereafter, Cesar Garcia took over the pitching from Granma-starter Leandro Martinez.
He saw the runners advance to second and third base on a grounder by Abdel Civil, then created a force play-situation by walking Yorelvis Charles intentionally.
But Ciego de Ávila then added its second run when next batter Ruben Valdes hit a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the fourth, Granma scored its first run.
Yunior Paumier and Alfredo Despaigne led off with walks, then were awarded the next run when starter Erly Casanova was charged with a balk.
Moments later, the bases got loaded when Dennis Laza also walked.
With no outs, José Garcia took over the pitching for Casanova, but he also began with a walk that made it a 2-1 score.
However, it would be the lone run Granma scored in this inning.
Next batter Guillermo Avilés grounded into an 1-2-3 double play and a flyout ended the at bat.
Granma-reliever Cesar Garcia retired the side in the fifth and sixth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Alfredo Despaigne singled with one out for Granma and next batter Dennis Laza walked, but again, the defense of Ciego de Ávila turned a double play to avoid giving up runs.
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...Donald Duarte (left) and Yoelvis Fiss scored the...
...two runs for Ciego de Ávila...
...Here, they're playing for Cuba in 2011 and 2015...
...during the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam (Netherlands)...
(© Photos: Henk Seppen) |
After Ciego de Ávila left two runners behind in the top of the seventh, Granma came alongside in its seventh at bat.
Lead-off hitter Guillermo Avilés reached on an error by Eliecer Griñan, who had just entered the game as new first baseman, taking over from veteran Yorelvis Charles.
Avilés advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Frank Morejon and moved to third base on a wild pitch.
He then scored the tying run when next batter Yoelkis Cespedes singled.
Veteran pitcher Miguel Lahera took over the pitching for Granma in the top of the eighth ining.
He gave up a lead-off single, but two force play-grounders and a strikeout followed.
In the bottom of the eighth, Granma scored the deciding run.
With one out, veteran Alfredo Despaigne walked and got into scoring position after a wild pitch.
Hereafter, the bases got loaded when Dennis Laza and Carlos Benítez both also walked.
José Garcia was then relieved by Dachel Duquesne.
He was the starter in Game 3, but ran into problems quickly and was replaced after only four batters.
Also, Edilse Silva took over first base from Eliecer Griñan.
Two batters before, Ciego de Ávila's Manager Roger Machado had made another defensive change, as he replaced veteran rightfielder Yoelvis Fiss for Roy Echemendia.
With the bases loaded, Guillermo Avilés hit a sacrifice fly that brought in Despaigne and gave Granma a 3-2 lead.
In the top of the ninth, Lahera retired the side to secure the minimal lead.
With that, Granma won the game 3-2 and the Series 4-0 to capture its first Cuban Championship-title.
Thousands of enthousiastic spectators then entered the field to start celebrations.
(January 22)
Related Articles:
 Granma wins 3rd game; one win away from Cuban title. (January 21)
Granma also wins 2nd game Cuban Final. (January 20)
Granma wins opener Cuban Final in 10th inning. (January 19)
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