Yurisbel Gracial heats up the Fukuoka night and the Halcones are already at the top

April 15, 2021

Yurisbel Gracial hit three hits in four at-bats and the Softbank Hawks climbed to first place in the Pacific League by defeating the Orix Buffaloes 4-3 in front of more than 9,000 spectators at the Pay Pay Dome stadium in Fukuoka.

The player from Yumurí, who also scored a run in the fifth inning, in which his team took the definitive lead, is now the second batter with the most hits in the league (21) and raised his batting average to .323 to slip among the top five in that department.

His teammate, the player from Granma Alfredo Despaigne, did not have the same luck and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout included and a walk as he watched his average drop to exactly .200, in a forgettable start to the season.

The pitcher from Pinar del Río Liván Moinelo threw another immaculate inning, with a pair of strikeouts, to maintain his team's lead, although they connected a couple of hits off him, the first ones he allows this season. After this performance, he accumulates five innings without allowing runs, with nine opponents retired by strikeouts and two walks allowed.

The player from Villa Clara Leonys Martín also shone in the victory of his Lotte Marines over the Rakuten Eagles (7-3), by hitting a double in four at-bats and driving in three teammates, reaching 15 RBIs and placing himself as the leader in that category, tied with two other Japanese players.

Finally, in the Central League, Ariel Martínez went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a strikeout, but could not prevent the defeat of his Chunichi Dragons at the hands of the Yomiuri Giants (5-1). Now, the player from Matanzas compiles 10 official at-bats with three hits (including a home run) and raised his average to .300.