Matanzas Pitcher Yamichel Pérez Confident in Championship Pursuit After Semifinal Win
"We still need six more wins to achieve the championship, and honestly, I believe we can get them," assured Yamichel Pérez today, the Cuban pitcher also known as "El Talismán," after securing the victory in the second game of the Cuban baseball semifinal between the Matanzas Cocodriles and the Havana Industriales Lions.

Improving Command and Team Support
The left-handed pitcher, a native of Sancti Spíritus province who has represented Matanzas since 2020, told the Cuban News Agency that he took the field at Victoria de Girón park this Monday to play a game without overconfidence, feeling he improved his pitch command as the innings progressed.

"I have usually been characterized by 'walking' a lot of batters in games, but the frequent breaks in the calendar affected my pitching rhythm. Today everything went well; the team backed me up offensively and also knew how to take advantage of the opponent's errors," commented one of the heroes of the Cocodriles in the postseason of the 59th Series, when the reds broke a nearly 30-year championship drought.

Versatility and Readiness
Pérez, who also has experience in professional leagues in Canada and Italy, added that he is usually prepared to pitch in any situation that arises, not only as a starter, which is why he can sometimes be seen with a certain anxiety from the saurians' bullpen. "It's a characteristic of my personality," he emphasized.

Respect for the Opponent, Confidence in the Squad
Regarding the chances of the squad managed by Armando Ferrer, he assessed them as high based on the lineup's productivity in each challenge. However, he had words of respect for the current opponent, the capital's blue team, recognized as the flagship team of baseball in the largest of the Antilles, which arrives with aspirations of climbing to the top of the podium after a 16-year wait.

Dominant Performance in Monday's Victory
This Monday, in the Cocodriles' 11-0 shutout victory over the Lions, Yamichel Pérez once again demonstrated his ability to overcome complications in high-stakes challenges, scattering seven hits over six innings of work without allowing runs or issuing walks.