Cuban pitcher Raidel Martínez reaches 18 saves in Japanese baseball league

July 11, 2022

Cuban Raidel Martínez recorded his eighteenth save in the 2022 Japanese Professional Baseball League this Sunday, July 11, allowing two hits with no runs in a relief inning.

His performance supported the 2-1 victory of the Chunichi Dragons over the Hiroshima Carp at the Vantelin Dome in Nagoya.

The lanky right-hander, who added a strikeout to his personal record, improved his ERA to 0.33 and assumed sole third place in saves in the so-called central league.

His compatriot and team partner Dayán Viciedo went 4-2 with a couple of singles to raise his average to .278. Fellow Cuban Ariel Martínez failed in three opportunities to lower his to .299.

At this moment, the central league is dominated by the Yakult Swallows with 53 wins, 27 losses, and one tie. The Dragons are in last place with a record of 34-46-1.

In the Pacific League of the NPB, the Softbank Hawks lead with a record of 42-34-1, closely followed by the Seibu Lions (43-37-1).