Las Tunas won the first game of the semifinal against Matanzas 4-1 and maintained its undefeated record in the Cuban baseball postseason.

Las Tunas, July 21 (PL)-- Las Tunas won the first game of the semifinal against Matanzas 4-1 and maintained its undefeated record in the Cuban baseball postseason.

Just like the three previous times these teams faced each other in the postseason, the Tunas started ahead, although this time they seek to reverse the previous history when the Crocodiles ended up winning all the series.

The game was decided in the fourth chapter when the Leñadores offense combined three hits with an error by the rivals, against the pitching of left-hander Naykel Cruz, loser of the game.

Rafael Viñales, Manuel Ávila and Yunier Rondón drove in the runs with a double, a sacrifice fly and an unearned run, respectively.

A fourth run in the seventh in the seventh frame by Héctor Castillo, leader of the hitters in the preliminary phase (.404), and a double by Yordanis Alarcón, second in the same offensive ranking (.402), sealed the score, which was made up in the ninth with a home run by Rubi Silva for the Matanceros.

Pitchers Alejandro Meneses (6.0 IP, 1H, 1BB), who signed his second hit of the postseason, and Rodolfo Díaz (3.0 IP, 1CL, 2H, 3K), author of the save, were in charge of controlling the Matanzas' attack.

This is the fifth straight win without defeat for the Tuneros in the current playoffs, after sweeping Ciego de Avila in the quarterfinals.

Both teams will meet again this Friday at 14:00, local time, at the same Julio Antonio Mella stadium in the city of Las Tunas, located more than 650 kilometers east of Havana.

The other semifinal of the Cuban baseball championship will start on Saturday between Santiago de Cuba and Industriales.