Cuba/Finals: Villa Clara Takes 2-0 Lead
HAVANA TIMES — Seven innings of one-run pitching from Misael Siverio and three hits and excellent fielding from shortstop Yordan Manduley led Villa Clara to a convincing 8-1 win over Matanzas in the second game of their best-of-seven championship series.
With the win Villa Clara heads home with a 2-0 lead for games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary). Matanzas must win at least two on the road to force a game 6 back home.
The game was interrupted in the first inning for more than two hours due to rain, noted Ray Otero for Baseballdecuba.com. When play resumed, Matanzas’s Guillermo Heredia hit the first pitch by Siverio over the center field fence to put his team ahead 1-0.
However, the lead wouldn’t last long as Yeniet Perez hit a solo shot in the second inning for Villa Clara to even the score.
In the third inning Villa Clara chalked up the two decisive runs. Manduley drove in one with a doble and then scored on a hit from Ariel Borrero, knocking starter Joel Suarez, the losing pitcher, out of the box.
VC scored three more in the fifth on a two run homer from Edilse Silva off reliever Frank Navarro and a solo shot from Ariel Borrero from another reliever, Frank San Martin. In the ninth, Andy Sarduy drove in the final two runs.
Matanzas managed to mount a two-out bases load threat in the fifth, but went scoreless when Jose Miguel Fernandez lined to right.
Jonder Martinez and Robelio Carrillo pitched a scoreless final two innings to preserve the Villa Clara victory.
Game 3 of the series is set for Saturday night at 8:15 pm in the city of Santa Clara.
The probable starters are Jorge A. Martinez (Matanzas) and Robelio Carrillo (Villa Clara)
The game will be on national TV and also Cubavision Internacional and Radio Rebelde, both available on Internet.