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Havana, May 1 (RHC) – With the coldness of a scalpel and a steely pulse, Cuban Raidel Martinez signed his ninth save in the Japanese Baseball League today, sealing the Yomiuri Giants’ 5-3 victory over the Hanshin Tigers.
Relentless on the mound at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, Martínez retired all three batters he faced, two by strikeout, and closed out the game without incident, securing the victory for his team, which now sits just one and a half games behind the league leaders, who are currently his victims.
The right-hander from Pinar del Río is establishing himself as one of the most reliable closers in the league and ranks second in saves in the Central League, only behind Colombian José Quijada (10) of the Yakult Swallows.
This season, he has pitched nine and a third innings with ten strikeouts, no walks, and only three earned runs allowed, numbers that illustrate his dominance in the late innings.
Over nine seasons in Japanese baseball, seven with the Chunichi Dragons, Martinez has accumulated 221 saves and a record of leadership that includes titles in 2022 (39), 2024 (43), and last season (46).
