Game 3: Power and determination
The Vegueros of Pinar del Río cannot lose again if they want to maintain their aspirations of being crowned champions. On the other hand, the Las Tunas Leñadores are one success away from glory.
There is one statistic by which we could define the success of the Las Tunas Leñadores since they became postseason contenders: they have been the team (qualified with at least 50 playoff games) that has recorded the highest winning percentage when scoring at minus five races.
The 6% difference over Santiago de Cuba is the largest of any team in the Top-5 before this postseason:
Las Tunas: 33-18, 65%
Santiago de Cuba: 97-70, 59%
Pinar del Río: 89-67, 58%
Industriales: 98-81, 55%
Villa Clara: 86-84, 51%
In these playoffs, the Leñadores are 9-0 whenever they have scored at least five runs in a game. In the four games they have lost, they have scored three or fewer runs. So the trend has been repeated again and again. Friday night saw another of those classic Leñadores games: they started by scoring three runs in the first inning, quickly suffocating the Vegueros' veteran right-hander, Vladimir Baños.
Pinar del Río has not been able to avoid this trend.
The three-run rally in the first inning could have been enough for Las Tunas to win Game 3 of the Grand Final, where they ended up beating the Vegueros of Pinar del Río 5-2. With the series 3-0, the anticipated ending seems inevitable for many reasons: Los Leñadores de Las Tunas have won 14 of their last 15 games at the Julio Antonio Mella stadium, and will have the opportunity to be crowned champions for the first time playing at home.
The Game 3 victory was also historic for the reigning national champions, who tied Industriales with the record of nine consecutive Finals victories. All these overwhelming statistics show us signs of the indisputable dominance of the Leñadores, who have completely neutralized the Vegueros of Pinar del Río. In 28 innings during the three games of this Grand Final, Las Tunas has been ahead on the scoreboard by 50% (29). Pinewood of the river? He still hasn't been able to open up on the scoreboard.
The sixth inning of Game 2 was the only one in which the Vegueros managed to have an advantage (3-2), when Mario Sánchez scored on a throwing error to third by catcher Yosvany Alarcón. The Vegueros have been ahead on the scoreboard for only 3.6% (1) of the 28 innings that have been played in this Final.
In baseball, statistics show us the strengths and weaknesses of teams all the time. But regardless of that, the most important thing for everyone is to manufacture and not allow races. The goal is to win baseball games, especially in the postseason setting. And, obviously, most victories don't come from comebacks.
In order to survive and still aspire to the crown, the Vegueros have no choice but to win the remaining games.
After opening down 3-0 (as happened in Game 1), from the second to ninth innings each team scored two runs. So the three-score rally in the first inning marked the final destiny of Game 3. For the second time in three games the Leñadores took advantage of the inefficient start of the Pinar del Río starters. It happened in Game 1 when they went 5-for-6 against right-hander Mario Valle, although catcher Yasiel Agete's error extended a first inning that would have ended scoreless. Left-hander Branlis Rodríguez recorded a quality outing in Game 2. But, as we saw during the first inning of Game 3, the Leñadores devoured Baños in just 12 pitches.
A single by Yuniesky Larduet, a double by Roberto Súlivan Baldoquín and a ground ball to short by Yosvany Alarcón drove in the first run. Yordanis Alarcón drove in the second run with a ground ball to third, and then Héctor Castillo walked the bases loaded against left-handed reliever Randy Román Martínez.
Pinar del Río failed to score in the first five innings against right-hander Alejandro Meneses, who once again dominated under playoff pressure. You'll probably be surprised when you read this: Meneses remains one of the most dominant pitchers in postseason history. In the history? Yeah! I don't know if it happens to you too, but when I think about Meneses, I visualize the entire arsenal of off-speed pitches that he uses.
I think he has learned the famous art that pitchers talk so much about when they lose the strength of their fastball. Command becomes the main weapon in the mix. And that is all that has made Meneses a different, dominant pitcher. He is capable of striking out batters with changeups at different velocities, and breaking pitches that sneak into the corners of the strike zone. That has been his philosophy and, although it may seem incredible, he is currently the third pitcher who has allowed the lowest batting average of his opponents in the postseason:
Pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched in playoffs
Rogelio García, .191
Alien Mora, .201
Alejandro Meneses, .202
Raúl Valdés, .211
Jorge Pérez, .213
Meneses allowed four hit singles, struck out three opponents and walked none. Now his all-time postseason ERA is 2.31, and he ranks second among pitchers with at least 50 innings.
Only two runners reached scoring position, but neither scored. The Vegueros missed three key opportunities in the game. In each of them, the situation was ideal—although with two outs—but in all of them Alexei Ramírez was dominated:
Top of the third inning: Juan Carlos Arencibia stole second with two outs, and then Alexei Ramírez flied out to first.
Top of the fifth inning: Arencibia singled to short left-center, and Rolando Martínez reached third. Alexei Ramírez was the third out of the inning with a fly out to shortstop Roberto Súlivan Baldoquín, who caught the ball in the short left field.
Top of the eighth inning: After going 0-for-2 against Meneses, Alexei grounded out to short with a runner on second and two outs.
As you can see, all of Alexei Ramírez's plate appearances with runners in scoring position came after two outs. In the end, the effect of each out to close the inning prevented Wilian Saavedra from hitting with runners on base—although, until that fifth inning, he had gone 0-for-9 in the Final.
Without a doubt, hitting in key situations continues to be one of the main problems that Pinar del Río's offense has not been able to resolve. The Vegueros are 2-for-25 with runners in scoring position. Saavedra opened the sixth inning with his long-awaited 27th home run in the playoffs, which equaled the historical mark of another native of Pinar del Río, Omar Linares. Saavedra accomplished the feat in 390 plate appearances, 40 fewer than the 430 recorded by Linares, who set the record 24 years ago.
Although it seemed like a practically impossible mark to break, Saavedra has the possibility of becoming the biggest home run hitter in Cuban baseball playoffs, but he confessed that he was not satisfied with his poor offensive contribution to the team. Perhaps anxiety helped prolong Saavedra's slump, who has seen his swing and miss rate rise to 6.5% during this Final.
After the agonizing first inning, the Vegueros bullpen resisted with dominant performances, limiting the hitters from the sixth to the ninth in the Leñadores' lineup to 0-for-11 with five strikeouts. Rookie left-hander Randy Román Martínez pitched 4 ⅔ innings and, although he allowed two runs, struck out six opponents. Yancarlos García pitched the seventh and eighth innings without allowing runs.
Leñadores leadoff Yuniesky Larduet scored three of the team's five runs. His speed was a key factor, combined with an almost perfect night from Roberto Súlivan Baldoquín, who went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
The Leñadores left 12 runners on base during Game 3. They went 1-for-16 with men in scoring position, but exhibited a much more aggressive pace of play than the Vegueros. Either way, the Leñadores' five runs were enough. The defense had only one slip, and the pitchers were effective again.
Everything seemed like a matter of time. Well, until Alberto Pablo Civil was looking for the 27th out and had to use 16 pitches for 12 minutes to strike out Juan Carlos Arencibia, who fouled out 10 times after counting two strikes.
Arencibia's energy is one of the potentials that Pinar del Río has needed in this final, but it is too late to focus on the past. The Leñadores, current national champions, are one victory away from revalidating the title. And, as their loyal fans expected, they have demonstrated the power and determination of a team that has been practically invincible at home.
The Vegueros were the leaders of the regular season, but now they have no choice but to win.
