Game 4: Signs of life
The Vegueros won Game 4 and are still alive, but they cannot lose again.
Then, when everything seemed to indicate that the Leñadores de Las Tunas were ready to celebrate their first championship at home, the story of Game 4 revealed a very different script: The Vegueros de Pinar del Río won 6-0 and are still alive in the Grand Final of this 63rd Cuban National Baseball Series.
There will be Game 5!
The Vegueros offense finally woke up: 18 batters reached base, had 15 hits —the same combined amount between Games 2 and 3— including a double and two home runs. That production was decisive, but the big key to Game 4 was the gem of pitching thrown by the 24-year-old right-hander, Mario Valle.
After exploding in Game 1, where the Leñadores went 5-for-6 against Valle, who got just two outs, expectations really didn't seem hopeful. So the challenge was challenging for Valle, and the pressure began to build when the Leñadores loaded the bases in the first inning of Game 4. However, Valle passed his first litmus test by dominating Yordanis Alarcón, who hit a ground ball to third which served to force his brother Yosvany Alarcón.
Several Leñadores fans had stood up and lived in excitement for almost the entire night, waiting for the victory that would give them the championship. But this time, it was Mario Valle's night. And, unlike the previous three games, the Vegueros of Pinar del Río opened ahead on the scoreboard with a surprising two-run home run by ninth hitter Mario Sánchez.
All season long, power was not one of Sánchez's strengths, who had hit just three home runs in 71 plate appearances, including the playoffs: 68% of his hits were singles. His valuable tools for the team were his defensive ability playing left and center field, and his speed running the bases: he has not hit into a double play in 75 plate appearances all year.
I also don't think Sánchez even thought about hitting the home run that inspired the Vegueros in a “do or die” game, but there was a key point here: left-hander Eliander Bravo had opened low in the count against the four batters who They saw more than one pitch during the first inning. The only batter who attacked the first pitch was Yasser Julio González, who singled to left.
At the top of the second inning, Pinar del Río's first three batters swung at the first pitch. Tailon Sánchez singled to right, Yoannis Moreno sacrificed himself with a bunt, and Rolando Martínez grounded out to short.
So Sánchez simply followed the plan of attack. He passed up the first pitch, a fastball in the upper third outside, and then hit a Bravo curveball that stayed in the middle of the strike zone.
With a two-run lead, Valle retired the second inning in a row, and Wilian Saavedra hit a solo home run that made the score 3-0 in the top of the third inning.* For the first time in the Grand Final, the Vegueros came out ahead with an advantage of at least three runs.
*Yes, Saavedra's home run made him the new all-time home run leader in Cuban baseball playoffs! Saavedra, who plays with the number “28” on his uniform, left behind another Pinar del Río hitter, the legendary Omar Linares, who hit 27 home runs in the postseason.
In just three innings of offense during Game 4, Pinar del Río's 3-0 lead didn't really seem decisive, especially against the Leñadores de Las Tunas. But, as I wrote at the beginning, remember?, it was Mario Valle's night. And, unfortunately for the thousands of fans who filled the stands of the Julio Antonio Mella stadium, Valle neutralized every threat from the Leñadores.
The key moments came in the third and fourth innings. A walk to Roberto Súlivan Baldoquín and an error by Tailon Sánchez complicated the bottom of the third inning, but Valle struck out Rafael Viñales. And then, with two outs, Denis Peña hit a fly out to right, missing for the ninth consecutive at-bat.
In three innings, the Leñadores had left five runners on base, three of them in scoring position. The offense could not react, and the last opportunity to take down Valle came in the bottom of the quarter. Yordanis Alarcón, Jeans Lucas Baldoquín and Héctor Castillo started the inning with three consecutive singles that loaded the bases.*
*Castillo's single was a bunt in front of the mound, but Valle couldn't get there in time to get the out at first. Castillo passed first base and then celebrated the hit by signaling with his hands “that he was there.”
The Leñadores fans were vibrating with excitement. It was the great moment to unleash the relentless blow of the axes, but Valle did not flinch. The Vegueros right-hander overcame the pressure and stole the show from the hill. He struck out Yudier Rondón for the first out. He then dominated Yuniesky Larduet in a fly ball to short — shortstop Tailon Sánchez went into shallow left field. And finally, he threw out Roberto Súlivan Baldoquín, who hit a ground ball to short.
The threat ended.
Valle silenced the Lumberjack fans. Although hopes of winning the championship on Saturday night still lingered, Valle dominated his next nine opponents. He pitched a seven-inning shutout as the Vegueros offense continued to pressure the Las Tunas pitchers.
After the quality start of Valle, who put out his last 12 opponents, right-hander Jenier Álvarez also appeared on a gala night: he dominated the six rivals he faced, striking out three of them. Yes, after the Leñadores left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning, the next 18 batters were retired by the Vegueros pitching.
The first five batters in the Leñadores lineup went 1-for-17, and the last four went 0-for-12, not counting the three hits in the fourth inning. It might be too late, but for the first time in the entire playoff, Pinar del Río's pitching actually established a strategic plan that ended up being successful. The Leñadores struck out eight times and gave up 10 ground outs. From the fourth inning onwards, they hit a single fly ball into the outfield.
At the same time, let's look at this comparison, which we could call some “signs of life” in the quality shifts recorded by the Vegueros offense:
In the previous three games: They had gone 2 for 25 (.080) with runners in scoring position.
In Game 4: They hit 7-for-16 (.438), although they left 12 runners on base.
In the previous three games: 20 swings and misses, 6.7%
In Game 4: Only 3 swings and misses, 2.2%
In the previous three games: 5 batters with multi-hits
Game 1: Juan Carlos Arencibia, 2
Game 1: Yasiel Agete, 2
Game 2: Alexei Ramirez, 2
Game 3: Juan Carlos Arencibia, 2
Game 3: Rolando Martínez, 2
In Game 4: 5 batters with multi-hits!
Game 4: Juan Carlos Arencibia, 2
Game 4: Yasser Julio González, 3
Game 4: Tailon Sánchez, 3
Game 4: Yoannis Moreno, 2
Game 4: Rolando Martínez, 2
In previous three games: First-pitch swing rate: 22.2%, first-pitch hits: 1/first-pitch out: 10
In Game 4: First-pitch swing rate: 27.2%, first-pitch hits: 6/first-pitch out: 5
In previous three games: 6 extra base hits/1 HR
In Game 4: 3 extra base hits/2 HR
In the previous three games: 10 innings of “1-2-3” outs
In Game 4: 6 innings of “1-2-3” outs
The “signs of life” have been absurdly notable: an impressive resurgence of clutch hitting, flashes of power, with Wilian Saavedra's second straight home run. Will there be another string of quality shifts? What do you say about the swing and miss rates and the success of the Vegueros attacking the first pitch? When it comes to probabilities, they took another unexpected turn!
The Leñadores' left-hander, Eliander Bravo, did not appear with the command that led him to lead Game 1: he did not strike out, walked five opponents and allowed 11 on base in 5 ⅔ innings. Instead, the Vegueros pitching completed the gem that probably no one expected: Mario Valle and Jenier Álvarez combined to deliver the first shutout in 31 games against a Las Tunas Leñadores team playing in the playoffs at the Julio Antonio Mella stadium.
The Leñadores had won 14 of their last 15 games at home, and were one success away from the championship, which would also have meant a new record of 10 consecutive victories in Cuban baseball Finals. Now the question that arises here is whether the Vegueros of Pinar del Río will be able to extend the “signs of life” that led them to a shocking success in Game 4.
Let's wait for the play ball of Game 5.
