Cachorros Sweep Cocodrilos in IV Cuban Elite Baseball League

Holguín and Industriales Lead Standings Following Latest Series

The Holguín Cachorros defeated the Matanzas Cocodrilos 8-3 today, completing a four-game sweep and moving into a tie with Industriales for the top spot (5-3) in the IV Cuban Elite Baseball League (LEBC).

Playing as the visiting team at Victoria de Girón Stadium, the Holguín squad decided the game with a five-run surge in the second inning. Three of those runs were driven in by a home run from Yasiel González—the MVP of the previous 64th National Series—marking his fifth of the season and his 18th overall in the tournament, leading both categories.

The victors also saw home runs from Carlos Barrabí and Leonel Moas, supporting the winning performance of pitcher Carlos Alberto Santiesteban, who delivered five solid innings. Sahiel Cruz took the loss for Matanzas.

In another away matchup, the Azules of Havana, led by manager Guillermo Carmona, defeated the runner-up Las Tunas Leñadores 14-11 at Julio Antonio Mella Park, winning the challenging series 3-1. Significant offensive contributions came from Carlos Nieto and Yasiel Santoya, who drove in four and three runs, respectively.

The game featured home runs by Tailon Sánchez for the capital city team and Yasser Izaguirre for Las Tunas. Despite the loss, Las Tunas’ reinforcement player from Sancti Spíritus, Liuber Gallo, stood out with a perfect 6-for-6 performance at the plate. Andy Vargas earned the win in relief, while Fernando Betanzo secured the save.

Finally, in a pitching duel shortened to six innings due to rain, Artemisa secured a 1-0 victory over Mayabeque at Nelson Fernández Stadium in San José de las Lajas. The game’s only run came in the third inning following a walk to Dainel López, a sacrifice bunt, a hit by Dayán García, and a sacrifice fly by Harold Vázquez against starter Alexander Vargas, who pitched a complete game in the loss.

Left-hander Geonel Gutiérrez earned his second win, pitching all six innings and allowing only one hit to Frederich Cepeda.

With the conclusion of the second series, Industriales and Holguín lead with a 5-3 record, followed by Las Tunas, Matanzas, and Artemisa, all tied at 4-4. Mayabeque remains in last place with a 2-6 record.