63 National Baseball Series

Havana, June 28 (RHC) - Pinar del Río and Santiago de Cuba began with victories in the quarterfinal playoffs of the Cuban national baseball championship.

The Avispas de Santiago de Cuba, in a packed Guillermón Moncada stadium, debuted with a 6-4 victory over the Leones de Industriales, with Harold Vazquez's decisive home run in the ninth.

Under the rhythm of the famous conga, the Santiago team left the Leones de Industriales lying on the grass with Vazquez's home run and struck first in the best-of-seven duel.

Relief pitcher Osvaldo Acuña got the credit by putting two zeros on the slate.

This Friday, both teams will face each other again in the same scenario, to travel on Saturday to the Cuban capital where they will clash three times from Sunday to Tuesday at the Latinoamericano stadium.

The leader Pinar del Río also started with a victory over Sancti Spíritus by 8-0.

The Vegueros de Pinar, the only ones with 50 wins in the preliminary phase, made their debut in the postseason with an excellent opening by left-hander Branlis Rodriguez and two home runs by William Saavedra and Yaser Julio Gonzalez, to seal the success.

Saavedra hit his home run with two aboard and became the second historical producer of home runs in post-seasons in Cuban baseball with 26, one less than Omar Linares, also from Pinar del Río.

Pinar del Río and Sancti Spíritus will face each other again this Friday.

Likewise this Friday will begin the other two quarterfinal playoffs, between Granma and Matanzas, and reigning champion Las Tunas against Ciego de Avila.