Prensa Latina

Havana’s flag team Industriales (Lions) clobbered Pool B leader Sancti Spiritus (Cocks) 11-1 to stop the latter’s 25-game winning streak in the last phase of the 45th Cuban National Baseball Series.

“The Lions” or “The Blues of the Capital” as the Industriales are popularly dubbed, took an early two-run lead in the very first inning, thanks to a mammoth homer by southpaw Yoandry Urgelles.

In the third, they scored another run on a walk, a hit-and-run play and a sacrifice fly by outfielder Yasser Gomez.

From that inning on, they scored 8 times to win by a mercy rule in the seventh.

The only run scored by Sancti Spiritus, known as “The Cocks”, came on a blast by 3b Yulieski Gourriel. This team won 25 games in row, failing two behind the all-time record of 27, which Mineros set in the 1972 season.

Industriales right-hander Yadel Marti probably had his best game of the season and was dominant during seven innings, only allowing two hits and no runs.

These two teams have already qualified for the postseason, together with Villa Clara, the Isle of Youth, Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Ciego de Avila.

Pool Holguin remains bogged down in its win-drought and lost its 32nd straight game.

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