Havana, Aug 21 (RHC) – Cuban Raidel Martinez once again shut out the Yomiuri Giants today, who defeated the Hiroshima Carp 2-0 in the continuation of the Japanese professional baseball season.
Before more than 42,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome, the right-hander pitched the ninth inning and, although he was far from his usual command, allowing one hit and one walk, he found the necessary composure to preserve the lead and secure the victory.
With the save, MartÃnez reached 33 on the season and extended his lead in the Central League, where he is 12 ahead of Japan’s Shinya Matsuyama, while Rikuto Yokoyama has 29 in the Pacific League, a figure that makes the Cuban the undisputed leader in saves in Japanese baseball.
The Pinar del RÃo native also boasts a record of three wins and three losses, with just seven earned runs allowed in 39.2 innings for a 1.59 ERA, along with 24 hits and 10 walks.
MartÃnez’s performance came on a night when Yomiuri built their victory with flawless team pitching, as five pitchers combined to shut out Hiroshima.
For the Cuban, each ninth inning seems to become a door that closes with a key, and this time the 33rd lock also left him just five saves away from reaching 250 in his professional career, a figure that would mark a milestone for a foreign player in the history of Japanese baseball.
