"Tanque" Tomás Guides the Leones to Victory in 65th SNB Opener

HAVANA — In any baseball category, every lineup relies on a true leader and clutch hitter. On Sunday, slugger Yasmani Tomás showcased his prowess to seal a 5-1 victory for Industriales over Pinar del Río in the opening action of the 65th National Series.

At Latinoamericano Stadium in Western Zone Group A, pitching dominated the contest, leaving the game deadlocked 0-0 heading into the tenth inning. The Vegueros, managed by Alfonso Urquiola, drew first blood in the top of the frame on a sacrifice fly by Yoanis Moreno.

However, in the bottom half of the inning, Guillermo Carmona's Leones tied the game when relief pitcher Yancarlos García issued a bases-loaded walk.

That set the stage for "Tanque" Tomás to demonstrate his powerful swing once more, deciding the matchup with a game-winning, four-run walk-off home run.

The contest featured a compelling pitching duel between starters Frank Denis Blanco for Pinar del Río and Carlos Manuel Cuesta for Industriales, with Cuesta backed by three double plays from his defense. Cuesta pitched 8.0 scoreless innings, mixing his pitches effectively without issuing a walk. Reliever Erick Cristian González earned the win.

In the other group match, Artemisa defeated Isla de la Juventud 9-2.

Meanwhile, defending champion Matanzas shut out Cienfuegos 6-0 in Western Zone Group B, led by veteran left-handed starter Yoennis Yera. Yera threw five innings, allowing three hits while striking out four, before turning the game over to relievers Yosney García and left-hander Naikel Cruz, who returned after a two-year absence from national baseball. Aníbal Medina and Andrys Pérez homered for manager Armando Ferrer's squad.

In other Group B action, Villa Clara edged Mayabeque 6-5.

In Eastern Zone Group C, Ciego de Ávila topped Las Tunas 3-2, while Sancti Spíritus defeated Camagüey 9-4.

In Group D, Granma secured a 14-2 mercy-rule victory over Holguín, highlighted by left fielder Ernesto Pérez, who went 3-for-5 with a double and seven runs batted in. Santiago de Cuba hit four home runs to deliver an 11-1 mercy-rule defeat to Guantánamo in the same group.