63 National Baseball Series

Havana, July 5 (PL) - The Alazanes de Granma defeated the Cocodrilos de Matanzas with an 8-2 scoreboard and kept their hopes alive by placing the game 2-3 in favor of the Matanzas team in the quarterfinal playoffs of Cuban baseball.

The team led by Angel Ortega did not believe in the home of the Cocodrilos who longed for a fourth victory and hung on the experienced arm of Leandro Martinez they got the smile they needed to get closer to the top.

With an extraordinary restraint gained with years of experience, Leandro Martinez pitched 7.2 episodes, with two runs and although he allowed 10 hits, he knew how to put his arm in at the exact moment to guide Granma to its second win in the playoffs.

Granma connected 17 hits and scored the decisive five-run cluster in the seventh inning, when the scoreboard was tied 2x2.

The sixth game of the playoffs will be played at the Mártires de Barbados this Saturday.

Three games will be played this Friday: Las Tunas-Ciego, Pinar-Sancti, and Santiago-Industriales.

All quarterfinal series are 3-2.