Game 3: Matanzas vs. Granma
Both teams got their lead-off hitter on base in the first inning, but both were left behind in scoring position.
For Granma, Roel Santos Martínez led off with a walk, then Matanzas-starter Reinier Rivero Estrada hit next batter Osvaldo Abreu Sánchez with a pitch.
A flyout and double play followed.
For Matanzas, Aníbal Medina Pérez led off with a single off of starter César García Rondón.
He moved on a grounder, but also stranded on second base.
In the second inning, both opening hitters walked.
For Granma, Guillermo José Avilés Difurnó walked and for Matanzas, Yadir Drake Domínguez.
Avilés was eliminated in a double play, Drake was left behind on first base.
In the top of the third inning, Granma came close to the opening run, as it got the bases loaded with one out.
Yulián Rafael Milán Santos led off with a walk, then Alexquemer Sánchez Sánchez was hit by a pitch.
After the two had advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Roel Santos Martínez, the bases got loaded when Osvaldo Abreu Sánchez also was hit by a pitch.
That brought Manager Armando Jesus Ferrer Ruiz to the mound to make a pitching change.
Ferrer inserted lefthander Naykel Yoel Cruz Saldívar as reliever and he got a foul pop-fly, then a force play-grounder, which ended the at bat.
Moments later, Matanzas opened the score in the bottom of the third.
Eduardo Blanco Díaz led off with a single, moved to second base on an one-out single by Yadil Mujica Díaz and scored when Ariel Sánchez Sánchez also singled.
With runners on first and third base and two outs, the at bat ended with a spectacular catch from leftfielder Raico Santos Almeida.
Powerhitter Yadir Drake Domínguez hit a line drive down the leftfield-line which went into foul territory.
Santos ran towards the fence in the leftfield-corner and caught the ball, but then fell partly through an open space in the fence.
However, he was able to maintain his balance and kept his feet inside the field, making it an official out.
After Granma had left two runners behind in the top of the fourth, Matanzas added two runs in its fourth at bat.
Yariel Duque Salgado led off with a single, then Bárbaro Erisbel Arruebaruena Escalante walked.
Next batter Andrys Pérez Garcia turned for a sacrifice bunt, but popped the ball up into the air.
First baseman Guillermo José Avilés Difornó ran towards the ball, appeared to catch it near the foul-line, touched the ball with his glove on fair territory, but it then dropped into foul territory.
When the ball fell, Pérez started to run, then collided with pitcher César García Rondón, who ran towards the foul-line.
At that moment, Home Plate Umpire Omar Peralta Cárdenas (who also in an international umpire) gave the interference-sign, as Pérez was blocked by García.
However, Pérez reached base safely on the play, which was ruled a bunt-single.
With that, the bases were loaded with no outs.
Duque was then forced out at the plate on a grounder by Eduard Blanco Díaz.
Hereafter, Arruebaruena scored when an error was made on a hard grounder towards third base by Aníbal Medina Pérez, who therefore reached first base on a fielder's choice.
Initially, it was ruled an infield-hit, but that was changed by the three Official Scorers.
With the bases still loaded, Pérez scored the next run on a single by Yadil Mujica Díaz.
That led to a pitching change.
Miguel David Paradelo Aguilar took over and got an inning-ending double play, but Matanzas now led 3-0.
Granma left two more runners behind in the top of the sixth, then Matanzas got the bases loaded again in the bottom of the sixth, but this time was held scoreless.
With one, out, Andrys Pérez and Eduardo Blanco Díaz singled and Aníbal Medina Pérez walked, but a double play closed the at bat.
Granma scored its first run in the top of the seventh inning when Roel Santos Martínez homered with two outs.
This was only the third basehit in the game for Granma.
Matanzas left a runner behind on third base in the bottom of the seventh and was retired in order in the eighth.
But the lead didn't come into jeopardy.
Granma was retired in order in the top of the eighth.
With two outs, in the top of the ninth, Granma got a baserunner when Yulián Rafael Milán Santos reached on a check-swing single just over first base.
But lefthander Naykel Yoel Cruz Saldívar then closed with a strikeout.
Cruz had entered the game in the third inning and had a strong outing for Matanzas to become the winning pitcher.
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First win for Matanzas in Cuban Final
SANCTI SPÍRITUS (Cuba) -
Cocodrilos de Matanzas won 3-1 against Alazanes de Granma on Wednesday-afternoon (March 31) in the third game of the best-of-seven Championship Final of the 60th edition of the Serie Nacional de Béisbol.
Game 4 will be played on Thursday.
With the win, Matanzas recorded its first victory in the Cuban Final after having lost the first two games.
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.