Playoffs scenarios: The Gallos de Sancti Spíritus gave the final blow
Well, our wait is over to see which team takes the last ticket to the playoffs in this 63rd National Series of Cuban baseball. So our Playoff Races column says goodbye. I hope you enjoyed it. And, of course, the coverage is just beginning: now the curtain opens on “Playoff Scenarios”, the new column where I will write everything related to the postseason in this 63rd Cuban National Baseball Series.
All the matchups for the upcoming postseason have not yet been decided. The only Quarterfinal series that is already official will be the confrontation between Santiago de Cuba (fourth place in the standings) vs Industriales (fifth place). The remaining series will depend on the upcoming results of the games that were sealed. Either way, here's the full update when the other three remaining playoff series become official.
The incredible final race of the Gallos de Sancti Spíritus
29 days ago, the Gallos de Sancti Spíritus were playing for a disastrous record of 22-32. They had lost 11 of their last 15 games, and defensive inconsistencies became a debacle — Sancti Spíritus made at least one error in 46 of its first 54 games.
Entering the final third of the season 10 games sub-.500, Sancti Spíritus was at its worst during a chaotic streak of 61 consecutive games with more losses than wins. With just 21 games remaining in the regular season, the Gallos did not even stand out as probable contenders.
However, the story began to take an unexpected turn. Sancti Spíritus won six consecutive games, which saved the series 3-2 against Artemisa. The reaction also ensured a 3-2 success in the challenge against Industriales. That flash fueled the team's hopes and, against all odds, the Gallos became contenders for the final playoff berth.
After winning the series 3-2 against Industriales, they swept Camagüey 5-0, and won 4-1 against Holguín. At the beginning of this week, the fight for the last berth to the playoffs was reduced to three teams: Villa Clara, Guantánamo and Sancti Spíritus. This Thursday, on the last day of the regular season, Guantánamo started in eighth place in the standings with a record of 39-35. Sancti Spíritus (38-35) was ½ behind, but they had the advantage that, if they won the double game against Cienfuegos, they would get a ticket to the postseason.
The curse of the Indians
The Gallos completed the job: they won the seven-inning doubleheader against the Elephants—both games with scores of 2-1—and officially became the eighth qualifier for the playoffs of this 63rd National Series of Cuban baseball.
The double success of Sancti Spíritus also pulverized the hopes of the Guantánamo Indians, who were about to end a 13-year streak without reaching the playoffs. Guantánamo finished with the same 40-35 record as Sancti Spíritus, but the Gallos won this year's series 4-1. That result at the beginning of April ended up deciding the fate of the Indians.
Then, what seemed impossible became reality: Sancti Spíritus won 18 of its last 21 games.
In these last four weeks of the regular season they won 8 of 10 against contending teams (Industriales and Camagüey). And then, in the next two, they maintained the winning pace: they recorded a 9-1 record against Holguín and Cienfuegos, rivals that were in 14th and 15th place among the 16 teams in the league, respectively.
This Thursday, outfielder Carlos Gómez drove in the winning run with singles through the infield in both games — in the first game, Gómez hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning. In the second game of the doubleheader, ended due to rain at the 5 de Septiembre stadium, José Eduardo Santos dominated at ease in a duel against the Elephants' ace, Raikol Suárez.
Santos left Cienfuegos with only two hits in six innings, until the rain came after Yunier Mendoza's double at the beginning of the seventh. During the Gallos' decisive 18-3 run, Santos' return to the rotation has been key: he went 3-0 in five starts, with 5 ⅔ innings of durability, a 2.63 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. His 119 opponents averaged a poor .255.
The Gallos' most dominant pitcher and probably the MVP in this final stretch of the season was right-hander Yankiel Mauris, who went 2-0 with six saves in 12 outings—pitching in 57% of the team's final 21 games. In a league where a pitcher can be rated above average with a 5.00 ERA, Mauris posted a 1.04 ERA. He allowed only two extra bases (Osbel Pacheco's double and Rafael Álvarez's solo home run) against his last 100 opponents, and established a correlation of 22 strikeouts and just five walks (two were intentional).
Playoffs Races, Junio 8
After the injury to the team's closer, right-hander Yanielquis Duardo, Mauris carried the entire weight of the bullpen. But the contribution of the rotation starters, right-hander José Eduardo Santos, and left-handers Yohannys Hernández (4-0 in his last five starts, with a 2.64 ERA), Alex Guerra (won his three starts with a 1.42 ERA) and Carlos M. Benavides (0-1 with a 3.80 ERA in his last five starts), was key in the Gallos' awakening.
Another key point to consider here was the improvement of the defense. Sancti Spíritus had made 97 errors in its first 54 games, when it seemed to sink with a record of 22-32. 79% of the errors had cost them races. When the defense began to improve and they were able to make adjustments, the Gallos' pitching was more dominant. It is true that in the last two weeks they faced losing teams like Holguín and Cienfuegos, but the defensive work made a big difference:
Sancti Spíritus' first 54 games: 97 errors, 79% cost the team runs, and they fielded for a poor .952 average.
Last 21 games: 24 errors, 50% cost the team runs, and improved to .969 defensive average.
Obviously, we know that .969 is still an alarming collective deficiency for the Gallos' postseason aspirations, but the improvements were considerable.
In the last third of the season, Sancti Spíritus' offense also rose, driven above all by the mix of young and veteran hitters. During the 18-3 streak in the last 21 games, Rodolexis Moreno led the team in batting average (.488), hits (42), triples (3), stolen bases (4) and runs scored (25). Outfielder Daniel Jesús González also surprised, averaging over .400 (.442) in his last 52 plate appearances.
Alexis Varona led the lineup in doubles (9), extra bases (13), and tied Frederich Cepeda in home runs (4). As manager Lázaro Martínez expected, Duniesky Barroso drove in 16 runs (six of them to provide the tie or the lead on the scoreboard), standing out as the team's main clutch hitter.
With Cepeda reaching base in a large percentage of his plate appearances—he recorded 34 walks and a .577 OBP in his last 21 games—Barroso hit .388 with runners in scoring position. Daniel Jesús González drove in 50% of the 10 runners he found in scoring position, and rookie Yasser García was the big revelation, driving in 8 of 12 (67%).
When it seemed impossible, the Gallos recovered. The offense produced a .336/.441/.477 line, with 15 home runs and a 6.3 run average in the last 21 games. The pitching also adjusted, posting a 3.21 ERA. And you already know how much the defense improved. Every key detail of the game came together in this compelling trip that ended in an 18-3 streak and the postseason ticket for the Gallos.
Sancti Spíritus (officially ranked eighth) is almost certain to face Pinar del Río, who has a high probability of finishing as the leader in this regular season. The Gallos will return to the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six years. If the Pinar del Río-Sancti Spíritus series is repeated in the Quarterfinals, we will see a repeat of the playoff that the Gallos won in seven games against the Vegueros in the 61st National Series.
Welcome to the playoffs! Yes, this story is just beginning.
