Game 4: Matanzas vs. Granma
Granma reached base in each of the first two innings off of starter Reinier Rivero Estrada.
In the first at bat, the team left runners behind on first and second base when Rivero closed with a strikeout.
In the second inning, the team was more successful and opened the score.
Yulián Rafael Milán Santos singled with one out.
Next batter Iván Prieto González then drove the ball into deep centerfield, but there, it was caught by Eduard Blanco Díaz just in front of the fence in the deepest part of the stadium.
Granma got runners at the corners when Alexquemer Sánchez Sánchez singled.
Hereafter, Roel Santos Martínez also singled to bring in Milán.
Next, the bases got loaded on a Texas Leaguer-basehit into rightfield by Osvaldo Abreu Sánchez.
When the first two deliveries to next batter Raico Santos Almeida ended outside the strike-zone, Matanzas Manager Armando Jesus Ferrer Ruiz came to the mound to make a pitching change.
Joel Suárez Hernández took over with a 2-0 count and two of his three pitches to Santos also were balls, meaning he walked, which gave Granma another run.
The walk was credited to starting pitcher Rivero.
Carlos Benítez Pérez followed with a 2-run double to make it a 4-0 score.
With first base open, a force play was created by walking Guillermo Avilés Difurnó intentionally.
Another run was added on a single by Guillermo García García, but also ended in the third out.
On the hit, Benítez advanced to third base, was unable to score and returned, but Avilés was on his way from first to third base.
There, he was tagged out, which ended the rally and the long at bat, but Granma led 5-0.
Granma-starter Joel Mojena Machado retired the side in the first inning, but got his first baserunners in the second.
He walked lead-off hitter Javier Camero Rodríguez, then gave up an one-out single to Yariel Duque Salgado, but they were left behind.
After Granma had left a runner behind in scoring position in the top of the third, Matanzas got runners on first and second base with one out in its third at bat.
But the following two grounders resulted in a force out at third base and second base.
Granma added another run in the fifth inning when Guillermo García García led off with a homerun.
The scoring wasn't over yet, as Granma rallied for three more runs in the top of the sixth to lift the lead to 9-0.
Lead-off hitter Roel Santos Martínez was hit by a pitch, then Raico Santos Almeida walked with one out.
Armando Dueñas Moré then was inserted as new pitcher, but he got the bases loaded when he walked Carlos Benítez Pérez.
Moments later, a run was scored when Dueñas also walked Guillermo José Avilés Difurnó.
That was followed by another pitching change.
Leandro Hernandez Sanz took over, but he was greeted with a 2-run single from Guillermo García García.
A force out and flyout then ended the at bat, but Granma now had a comfortable lead.
Matanzas scored its first run in the bottom of the sixth after being retired in order in the fourth and leaving a runner behind on first base in the fifth.
In the sixth, Ariel Sánchez Sánchez led off with a walk, advanced on an one-out single by Yadir Drake Domínguez, then scored on a single by Yariel Duque Salgado.
While it started to rain, a strikeout and flyout followed to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh, Alexquemer Sánchez Sánchez led off for Granma with a double.
At that moment, it started to rain heavier, which led to a rain-delay of one hour and 23 minutes.
Thereafter, the game continued and Granma staged a 6-run rally on five basehits!
Despite the long interruption, Leandro Hernandez Sanz returned to the mound, but he gave up a single to Darién Palma Fonseca.
The long delay had effected Hernandez, as he got to a 2-0 count on next batter Osvaldo Abreu Sánchez with the second one ending in a passed ball, which enabled Palma to move to second base.
That brought out Matanzas-Manager Ferrer again to make a pitching change.
Yaniel Blanco Portal took over and he got the bases loaded when a grounder towards third base by Abreu ended in an error.
Raico Santos Almeida followed with a runscoring single, then Carlos Benítez Pérez added a 2-run single, which made it a 12-1 score.
The next run was then scored on a sacrifice fly by Guillermo José.Avilés Difurnó.
Hereafter, Miguel Antonio González Puente, who was inserted as pinch-runner for Benítez, moved to second base on a wild pitch, then scored when next batter Guillermo García García hit his second homerun in the game.
With the score now at 15-1, two grounders ended the long at bat.
Granma now needed three outs for a mercy-rule victory.
In the bottom of the seventh, Matanzas also did some scoring again.
Granma-reliever Juan Danilo Pérez Meriño got the bases loaded with one out when he gave up singles to Aníbal Medina Pérez, Yadil Mujica Díaz and Ariel Sánchez Sánchez.
Edel Tamayo Román was then inserted as pinch-runner at third base for Medina and he scored when Javier Camero Rodríguez walked.
Two runs were added on a following single by Yadir Drake Domínguez, which made it a 15-4 score.
Hereafter, Yariel Duque Salgado flied out to centerfield.
Camero took off from third base and appeared to be tagged out at the plate (which would have ended the game), but catcher Ariel Pestano Rosado (who had entered the game at the start of this inning) missed the ball.
And so, Camero scored (15-5), meaning the mercy-rule 10-run difference was now in jeopardy.
But that was to be it for Matanzas, as next batter Bárbaro Erisbel Arruebaruena Escalante flied out.
And that ended the game.
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Granma wins big to take 3-1 lead in Cuban Final
SANCTI SPÍRITUS (Cuba) -
Alazanes de Granma recorded a big 15-5, mercy-rule victory in seven innings against Cocodrilos de Matanzas on Thursday-afternoon (April 1) in the fourth game of the best-of-seven Championship Final of the 60th edition of the Serie Nacional de Béisbol.
Game 5 will be played on Friday.
When Granma also wins that game, it will capture the Cuban Championship-title.
In the opener on Sunday, Granma nipped the reigning champion 3-2.
On Monday, Granma came from behind in the second game and won 6-5.