Martinez duo debuts with Chunichi in Japanese baseball

Tokyo, April 14 (RHC)-- Cubans Ariel and Raidel Martinez, members of the Chunichi Dragons, made their debut in the 2021 season of the Japanese Professional Baseball League.  Both had recognized individual performances last season, but this year they stepped on the field for the first time on the 16th day of the season.  

Ariel went 3-0 with a pair of strikeouts and a walk, while Raidel pitched a perfect episode of relief.

The Dragons lost 1x2 to the Yomiuri Giants at the Tokyo Dome, and now have five wins, seven losses and three ties, which puts them in fifth place in the Central League.

In Fukuoka, Yurisbel Gracial went 2-0 with one run scored and two walks in his SoftBank Falcons' 4x7 loss to the Orix Buffaloes. His average dropped to .281.

His teammate Alfredo Despaigne missed an inning and also received two tickets to lower his average to .205.

The Falcons are second in the Pacific League, behind the Rakuten Eagles, with a record of 8-6-2.

The other Cuban with a good performance was Leonys Martin, who hit a single in three innings, scored a run and received two tickets in the Lotte Marinos' 6x2 win over the Rakuten Eagles and is now batting .263.