Reaction on time?

The Lumberjacks reacted. After two defeats as visitors, the offensive power of the Leñadores woke up this Tuesday before their loyal fans at the Julio Antonio Mella stadium. Let's review what happened Tuesday night and how some expectations changed after Game 3 in this Semifinal.

Las Tunas 8, Matanzas 5

If we previously knew something about this Semifinal Las Tunas vs Matanzas, it is that the offense stands out as the key factor for both teams. In the first two games, the Crocodiles' lineup unleashed a string of plate appearances that seemed unstoppable.*

*Yadián Martínez got a brilliant start by extending a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth inning in his Game 2 start.

His offensive prowess helped them achieve successes of 12-0 and 10-2. But, beyond the overwhelming record of 22 runs scored in two games, the most alarming point was how confident almost all of Matanzas' hitters looked at the plate. However, the story changed on Tuesday night in Game 3. Two of the Lumberjacks' main collective weapons performed up to expectations:

1) The offense was able to decipher the pitches of starter Yoel Mogena: The swings were presented at a different pace, and the team was able to set the speed in motion depending on the offense.

2) The bullpen carried the weight of six combined innings that were key to stopping the Crocodiles' lineup.

Bullpen game? Yes, it will sound strange, but that was a peculiarity of Game 3, due to the early explosion of both starters. Mogena covered only 2 ¹/₃ innings, where he allowed seven hits in 12 at-bats and six earned runs. A home run by Danel Castro in the first inning that found Yuniesky Larduet at third was the inspirational hit for the Lumberjacks.

The Crocodiles had gone ahead 1-0 in the first inning on a single by Rusney Castillo after two outs. And then they attacked again at the start of the third inning when Yordanis Samón hit a solo home run to deep center field.