News
Havana Dances to the Beat of the Lion Kings
After six hours of an emotionally thrilling game, the Industriales Lions clinched the coveted title of Cuban Baseball, by defeating the Villa Clara Orangemen in extra frames 7-5 at the Augusto Cesar Sandino Stadium of Santa Clara in the early hours of this Thursday.
Source
Prensa Latina
Date
After six hours of an emotionally thrilling game, the Industriales Lions clinched the coveted title of Cuban Baseball, by defeating the Villa Clara Orangemen in extra frames 7-5 at the Augusto Cesar Sandino Stadium of Santa Clara in the early hours of this Thursday.
Despite the game finished passed 02:00 local time, hundreds of thousands of Havanians took to the streets to celebrate the triumph of their beloved team after living in high tension in front of their televisions during almost six hours.
Sirens, vehicle horns, frenzied chanting and dances to the beat of congas broke the silence of the early hours of Thursday in Cubas capital.
The Orangemen scored first in the opening inning and the Havana Blues, as the team is also called, came back to tie the game 1-1 at the top of the fourth inning. Trailing again 1-2 in the sixth inning, slugger and first base Alexander Mayeta, who was later picked up the Final MVP, belted a homer for a 2-2 draw and short stop Rudy Reyes followed with another round-tripper to put Industriales ahead 3-2.
The Lions added two more runs in the seventh for what seemed a comfortable 5-2 lead with starter Arley Sanchez dominating from the mound, but the home club team in a formidable comeback tied the game 5-5 with a three-run home run off the bat of second base Yandris Canto at the bottom of the eighth.
Without much power in the bullpen, the Industriales skipper German Mesa entrusted left-handed rookie Joan Socarras with the task of keeping the host team at bay, and the 18-year-old hurler couldnt do it better: of seven batters he faced, stroke out five specially stars Andy Zamora, Ariel Borrero and Ariel Pestano, to win the great game of his life.
In the tenth, the Lions scored two runs on a single by Rudy Reyes, a double by left-fielder Stayler Hernandez, a bunt by catcher Frank Camilo Morejon and a sacrifice fly by second base Raiko Olivera. At the bottom of this frame, Socarras struck out Yuliet Flores with one runner on base to win the game. Industriales clinched their 12th title.
The Havana Blues have won the pennant in 1963, 64, 65, and 66, in 1973, 1986, 1992, 1996, 2003 and 04, 2006 and now in 2010. Its the team that has won most championships in Cuban Baseball, followed by the Santiago de Cuba Wasps with eight.
Despite the game finished passed 02:00 local time, hundreds of thousands of Havanians took to the streets to celebrate the triumph of their beloved team after living in high tension in front of their televisions during almost six hours.
Sirens, vehicle horns, frenzied chanting and dances to the beat of congas broke the silence of the early hours of Thursday in Cubas capital.
The Orangemen scored first in the opening inning and the Havana Blues, as the team is also called, came back to tie the game 1-1 at the top of the fourth inning. Trailing again 1-2 in the sixth inning, slugger and first base Alexander Mayeta, who was later picked up the Final MVP, belted a homer for a 2-2 draw and short stop Rudy Reyes followed with another round-tripper to put Industriales ahead 3-2.
The Lions added two more runs in the seventh for what seemed a comfortable 5-2 lead with starter Arley Sanchez dominating from the mound, but the home club team in a formidable comeback tied the game 5-5 with a three-run home run off the bat of second base Yandris Canto at the bottom of the eighth.
Without much power in the bullpen, the Industriales skipper German Mesa entrusted left-handed rookie Joan Socarras with the task of keeping the host team at bay, and the 18-year-old hurler couldnt do it better: of seven batters he faced, stroke out five specially stars Andy Zamora, Ariel Borrero and Ariel Pestano, to win the great game of his life.
In the tenth, the Lions scored two runs on a single by Rudy Reyes, a double by left-fielder Stayler Hernandez, a bunt by catcher Frank Camilo Morejon and a sacrifice fly by second base Raiko Olivera. At the bottom of this frame, Socarras struck out Yuliet Flores with one runner on base to win the game. Industriales clinched their 12th title.
The Havana Blues have won the pennant in 1963, 64, 65, and 66, in 1973, 1986, 1992, 1996, 2003 and 04, 2006 and now in 2010. Its the team that has won most championships in Cuban Baseball, followed by the Santiago de Cuba Wasps with eight.