Los Industriales 🦁 sobreviven al bosque de Leñadores 🪓| II LEBC [ESP-EN]

Recordemos que Las Tunas, es el actual Campeón de la Serie Nacional y estaban en su terreno, con el orgullo dolido y al borde la barrida.

Sin duda, este último juego, fue el mejor de los cuatros, dejando la emoción para el final.

Consideraciones Finales

Se escapa a mi compresión que puede haber sucedio con las Tunas y sobretodo en el cuerpo de pitcheo que no respondió esta primera jornada. Espero grandemente que se recuperen para que la serie mantenga un minimo de interes para el mermado publico que aún sigue un deporte que ha perdido el atractivo para el publico de la isla

Algo que llama mucho la atención es la cantidad tan grande de errores que se comenten por todos los equipos (+40 en solo 4 juegos) y se supone que aquí esten los mejores peloteros del país pero ya esto queda para otro análisis.

Las infografías y separadores son hechos por mí, utilizando Canva . Es un placer estar por acá y espero que haya sido de su gusto este análisis desde mi mas humilde opinión como aficionado al béisbol cubano. Nos vemos en próximas entregas 😉

Just 5 days ago, the Second Edition of the Elite League of Cuban Baseball began.

This time, the participating teams are the top 6 ranked teams from the last National Series: Cazadores de Artemisa, Leones de Industriales (La Habana), Cocodrilos de Matanzas, Gallos de Santi Spiritu, Leñadores de las Tunas, and Avispas de Santiago de Cuba. In a round-robin format, the top four teams will advance to the semifinals. This series will take place until mid-January (so you can expect me to keep you updated on the performance of the Leones de Industriales).

In the first edition of this League, the decision was made to merge provinces based on proximity. In this second edition, it was decided to reinforce the aforementioned teams with athletes from the squads that didn't qualify. Was it the right decision?

The first series brought us an exciting matchup: the Leñadores de Las Tunas hosted the Leones de Industriales at their home field, Julio A. Mella. These were high-profile encounters, perhaps the best of this opening round.

Last August, these teams clashed in the final of the National Series. The Leñadores came out on top, winning the golden crown by defeating the Leones in four consecutive games, showcasing their strong dominance over their rivals.

The Leones arrived at the Tunas field with a desire for revenge, while the home team awaited them to once again demonstrate their dominance.

The first game kicked off with a significant focus on pitching from both teams (unusual in today's Cuban baseball). The game remained tight, promising an exciting finish (someone had to win because ties don't exist in Cuba). The bats still seemed a bit cold, perhaps due to it being the first game after a short period of inactivity.

As the fifth inning began, the first runs were scored. The Leones managed to break through one of the country's top pitchers and scored the runs that would prove decisive in securing the victory for the visiting team (Industriales).

The pitching staff of the Leones managed to keep their rivals at bay, allowing only 2 runs. The bats of the Industriales team woke up, as they had been expected to do on previous occasions, delivering 8 hits and scoring 5 runs, changing the outcome from last August.

It was the first victory for the capital team, and although the game didn't start off as a tight one, there was a small rebellion from the Tunas team that wasn't enough to make a bigger impact. The Leones showed themselves as a consolidated and well-adjusted team, both in terms of pitching and batting, with the reinforcements making significant contributions to the blue cause.

The second game started off as a continuation of the first. The capital's blue team took the lead in the second inning, but the actions had to be halted and the game was suspended due to heavy rain. The following day, a doubleheader was scheduled.

This meant that the second game would only have 7 innings.

The following day, the Leñadores managed to tie the game shortly after it resumed, giving the impression that they had a chance to secure their first victory of the season. However, the pack of Leones was not willing to concede and demonstrated the good form they carried over from the preseason. The capital team managed to score 9 runs, which were countered by the offensive efforts of Las Tunas, who scored 5 times but didn't exhibit the qualities that led them to become champions.

The second game of the day (third in the series) brought more of the same. It only took 2 innings to decide the outcome. An inspired Industriales produced 13 hits, scoring 9 runs once again (23 runs in total so far), while their pitching staff allowed only 3 hits (including 1 home run) and 2 runs.

The visiting team secured the first series sweep between the two teams (3-0 so far). They climbed to the top of the standings as the only undefeated team at that point. The question remained: would there be a sweep, or would Las Tunas salvage some pride in front of their home crowd?

Let's continue...

Following the logic of this narrative, you might expect more of the same.

Let's remember that Las Tunas is the current champion of the National Series, and they were on their home turf, with wounded pride and on the verge of being swept.

The Leñadores took an early lead with a solo home run and then extended their advantage to make it 3-0. It seemed like the home team was waking up and could secure their first win of the current league. However, they were up against a pack of Leones thirsty for revenge and highly motivated to avoid defeat. The fourth game reached its conclusion with a 5-5 tie on the scoreboard. It was time for extra innings, the moment of truth. This time, the story took a different turn. Las Tunas managed to keep the pack at bay and, in the limited opportunities they had, they connected and walked off the field with a victory over their rivals.

Without a doubt, this last game was the best of the four, saving the excitement for the end.

Final Considerations

Las Tunas didn't show themselves to be the team that reached glory a few months ago, although there is no doubt that there is quality within their ranks, and it would be foolish not to consider them as favorites to advance to the next phase.

Some of the reinforcements requested by Las Tunas didn't showcase their best performance in this matchup. We all hope they wake up soon. In such a short series, it's important to avoid results like these, although there is still time for recovery since it's only the first round.

It's beyond my comprehension what might have happened to Las Tunas, especially with their pitching staff failing to respond in this opening round. I greatly hope they recover so that the series maintains a minimum level of interest for the dwindling audience still following a sport that has lost its appeal for the people on the island.

On the other hand, Industriales seems to have rejuvenated. The chosen reinforcements have contributed to both the pitching staff and the batters, with notable performances from the Cienfuegos players: Luis V. Mateo (SS) and Yoasnier López (DH). The capital's pitchers showed a different side than what the fans are used to. They appeared quite dominant, allowing only 16 runs to the team with the highest number of national champions in recent years.

Something that draws a lot of attention is the high number of errors committed by all the teams (+40 in just 4 games), and it's assumed that the best players in the country are participating. But that is a topic for another analysis.

To conclude, regardless of the format, if Industriales is in the mix, they will always be considered favorites. If they can maintain the form shown in this round, they will surely make it to the finals and fight to elevate the name of the legendary Industriales squad to the top (something that hasn't happened in over a decade).

Will the coveted crown finally arrive for the capital team? Will the drought end? The answers will gradually become clear. In the meantime, I will return in a few days with an analysis of the second round of Industriales.

Next stop: the classic of classics in Cuban baseball, Santiago de Cuba vs. Industriales. Leones against Avispa. The west of the country against the east. Many years of baseball tradition, and you will have it here on Hive. See you in the next recap. I hope you enjoyed it.

The infographics and separators are made by me, using Canva.