The team managed by Idalberto Lamote took advantage of the support of its fans at the Guillermón Moncada stadium to break the tie with the Granma squad, reach its eighth win, and even the season series, in a matchup suspended the day before due to bad weather.

The visitors arrived at the fifth inning with the lead, but the hosts changed the course of the game with a five-run rally against starter Sammy Benítez and the relievers, the latter responsible for conceding three walks with the bases loaded.

The rebel uprising continued in the sixth inning, when three more runs widened the difference, two of them driven in by a home run from Eduardo García.

The Santiago squad saved the definitive blow for the eighth inning, in which they produced five runs, with a single by Francisco Martínez that drove in two runners and the eighth home run of the campaign for Yoelquis Guibert, the leader in that department.

From the mound, reliever Wilber Reyna halted the Alazanes' reaction and was credited with the victory on a day whose only attraction was the matchup between the two teams.

With a record of eight wins and four losses, Santiago de Cuba leads the Eastern Zone, followed by Granma, Sancti Spíritus, and Ciego de Ávila, all with a 7-5 record.

Holguín and Las Tunas share fifth place with 6-6, while Camagüey shows a 4-8 record and Guantánamo closes the table with 3-9.

In the West, Pinar del Río retains the lead with 10 wins and two losses, ahead of Matanzas (7-5), Cienfuegos, Industriales, and Mayabeque (5-5), Artemisa and Villa Clara (5-7), and La Isla (2-8).