Havana, June 19 (PL) - The Cazadores de Artemisa will go out this Monday in search of a victory against Mayabeque that will assure their qualification for the first time to the postseason in Cuban baseball.

The team led by former pitcher Yulieski Gonzalez has 38 wins in 70 games and if they beat their rival, they will certify what they had never been able to do before in eleven championships. The Artemisa-Mayabeque duel is part of the first day of recovery of the 36 games cancelled or sealed during the regular campaign, whose 15 sub-series concluded last Saturday.

If they fail to win, the Artemiseños have four more chances, so only a debacle would leave them out of the quarterfinals.

Mayabeque is located in the middle of the standings with a balance of 37-36 and only two games pending, so they are obliged to win in order not to jeopardize their survival in the competition.

If the Cazadores are successful, the teams of Matanzas and Sancti Spíritus will also advance automatically and will play against each other on Monday.

Matanzas and Sancti Spíritus have the same record of 39 wins and 33 losses and the team that wins 40 will join the group already formed by Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba and Industriales, the three already qualified.

With those three qualified and another trio very close to also be included in the select group, there will be two places available for the postseason scheduled to begin when the national team returns from the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador.

Monday's schedule is completed with the duels between Santiago de Cuba-Ciego de Avila, Villa Clara-Guantanamo and Granma-Cienfuegos.

Santiago de Cuba (42-27) leads the standings followed by Las Tunas (42-28), Artemisa (38-32), Matanzas and Sancti Spíritus (both with 39-33), Industriales (40-34), Mayabeque (37-36) and Ciego de Ávila (32-32).

Then come Villa Clara (36-37), Camagüey and La Isla (both 34-35), Holguín (35-37), Pinar del Río (34-37), Granma (34-38), Cienfuegos (25-45) and Guantánamo (23-45).