Eduardo Blanco's home run and Naykel Cruz's relief gave Matanzas a 4-3 win over champion Granma, in the opening game of the 61st National Baseball Series of Cuba, played with public at the Mártires de Barbados stadium in Bayamo.

Havana, January 24 (RHC) -- Eduardo Blanco's home run and Naykel Cruz's relief gave Matanzas a 4-3 win over champion Granma, in the opening game of the 61st National Baseball Series of Cuba, played with public at the Mártires de Barbados stadium in Bayamo.

With very lively deliveries, Naykel mixed his fastball with speed changes and worked impeccably during 4.2 innings, in which he barely admitted a hit, gave two strikeouts and did not give away tickets.

The Cocodrilos de Matanzas, who hit 10 hits, opened the scoring in the same first inning with a pair of runs, thanks to three hits including a home run by first baseman Aníbal Medina against starter César García on the first pitch of the game.

But the Alazanes tied the score in the bottom of that inning, in which they connected three singles and received a passport against starter Noelvis Entenza.

García and Entenza kept control with their deliveries until the fifth inning, in which the reigning champions took the lead by scoring a run on Alexquemer Sánchez's walk and Osvaldo Abreu's run-scoring double. But right there, mentor Armando Ferrer's hand did not tremble, he took Entenza out of the box and brought in Naykel, who closed the circuit.

With the game 2-3 behind, the Matanceros made the comeback by scoring the tying run in the sixth, by Jefferson Delgado's double and Erisbel Arruebarruena's homer, and decided the game in the seventh by center fielder Eduardo Blanco's home run.

The best hitter of the game was Matanzas' left fielder Javier Camero, who went 4-3, with a home run and a ticket.