Cuba Playoffs: Late Inning Heroics Lift Industriales
Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES — Industriales came from behind to defeat Ciego de Avila 4-3 in ten innings on Saturday night. The series is now 2-1 favoring Ciego de Avilla with game four scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Ciego.
Industriales manager Lazaro Vargas changed his pitching plans after the rain out on Friday and went with his top pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne to face the league’s top pitcher Vladimir Garcia, standing tall on the mound for Ciego de Avila.
Despaigne ran into big trouble in the first inning when after lead-off hits by Raul Gonzalez and Mario Vega, outfielder Rusney Castillo whacked a double that put his team up 2-0.
However Despaigne managed to avoid more damage and settled down while waiting for Industriales to find a way to score off Garcia.
The first run for the team from the capital came in the fifth but Ciego came back another of their own in sixth to take a 3-1 lead and it looked like Garcia would win his 20th game of the season.
Garcia did allow more hits than in his previous win over Industriales but his clutch pitching had led him to what appeared a big victory to put Industriales at 0-3.
But things changed opening the top of the ninth when Juan Carlos Torrente, Rudy Reyes and Alexander Malleta provided back to back singles, bringing the score to 3-2 and sending Garcia to the showers.
Three batters later, and facing reliever Yander Guevara, a sacrifice fly by Carlos Tabares tied the score, although a good throw by Ciego centerfielder Yoelvis Fiss would have probably ended the rally.
In the tenth, Industriales 2,3,4 batters, Torrente, Reyes and Malleta, repeated their consecutive hits, as in the ninth, but this time with two out. A catching error by Lisdey Diaz on a throw from Rusney Castillo then allowed the go ahead run to score.
Yander Guevara took the loss, while Odrisamer got the win despite needing help from Antonio Romero (save) to finish the job providing a hitless, two strikeout tenth inning.
The game four pitchers announced are Frank Monthiet for Industriales and Osmar Carrero for Ciego de Avila.