Havana, Aug 25 (RHC) – Cubans Raidel Martínez and Liván Moinelo gave outstanding performances today in the Japanese Professional Baseball League, with the former as the closer and the latter as the undisputed owner of the mound.
Martínez once again locked down the scoreboard at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo, where he retired the last three batters, two by way of strikes, and allowed only one hit in the inning to preserve the Yomiuri Giants’ 8-6 victory over the Yakult Seagulls.
The Pinar del Río native reached 35 saves on the season, maintaining his lead in that category in the Central League and bringing his career total to 247 saves in Japanese professional baseball.
Martínez also boasts a record of three wins and three losses, and in 41 innings pitched, he has allowed only seven earned runs, for a 1.54 ERA, with 47 strikeouts—statistics that illustrate his dominance from the outfield.
Meanwhile, in Chiba, Moinelo wrote another chapter of authority by pitching a complete game and leading the SoftBank Hawks to a 9-0 shutout victory over the Lotte Marines at ZOZO Marine Stadium.
The Cuban left-hander worked all nine innings, allowing just three hits, striking out nine, and walking two, to record his first shutout of the season and secure his third win without a loss in as many starts.
Moinelo has now accumulated 21 innings in three starts since returning to the rotation and has allowed only one earned run, while his pitches have left 21 batters without a hit—a combination that confirms the Cuban’s excellent form.
Two arms, two stages, and one Cuban signature were etched into the Japanese game, with Martínez closing the door in Tokyo and Moinelo bringing down the curtain in Chiba with a performance that left no room for the opposing team.
