Cuba’s Baseball Finale Tonight

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, March 31 — The 2009-2010 Cuban Baseball Season is down to one game on Wednesday to determine the champion between Villa Clara, last year’s runner-up, and Industriales, the surprise club of the playoffs after a mediocre regular season.

Game Six on Tuesday night could have been the end of the series but Industriales overcame a 4-0 deficit after three innings to win 8-5 and force the seventh deciding game to also be played in Santa Clara, home of Villa Clara.

Villa Clara lefty Robelio Carrillo —winner of game two— started strong holding Industriales hitless for the first third of the game, while his teammates managed to send their rivals’ starter, Ian Rendon, to the showers in the second inning.

But the tables turned in the fourth when Carrillo fell victim to two costly errors by Yandy Diaz (2b) and Ariel Borrero (1B), a walk and the single that brought Industriales within a run at 4-3.

By the fifth Carrillo had lost his concentration and allowed two singles (S.Hernandez and C. Tabares) and two doubles by R. Olivares y A. Malleta that put the game at 6-4 before reliever Yosvany Perez was able to end the inning.

In the sixth Perez gave up two more runs, immediately getting into trouble allowing hits to the first three batters before getting the hook.

The final run of the game came in the seventh when Yuniet Flores drove in Leonys Martin for Villa Clara.

Armando Rivero, who came on in the second inning got the win for Industriales pitching 5.2 innings allowing five hits, two runs and striking out four.  Starter Robelio Carrillo took the loss for Villa Clara.

Box Score of Game Six

For fans outside of Cuba, Cubavision Internacional will be broadcasting game seven.