Matanzas’ play-off win over Artemisa qualifies Jonder Martinez’s official dismissal.

An illuminated victory of the Cocodrilos de Matanzas team, eight runs by three, against the Cazadores de Artemisa who refused to lose at the Victoria de Girón stadium, which welcomed its fans back to the night games.

After seven years without playing at night at the Coloso del Naranjal, the team coached by Armando Ferrer put the Cazadores in check with three wins against one, respectively. If they win this Friday, the Matanzas would qualify for the semifinals.

The victory, after an intermittent start by Renner Rivero, went to stellar pitcher Noervys Entenza, who celebrated his birthday in style. It was also a night of brilliance for Erisbel «El Grillo» Arruebarruena, who led the team with a four-for-four performance, with three runs batted in and one run batted in.

The special day was tinged hours before the game by the farewell to the mound of the outstanding pitcher Jonder Martínez, an event marked by the inevitable passage of time. It was a sensitive ceremony by the people and sports authorities in honor of his retirement.

Jonder Martínez, 45 years old, achieved 192 victories and 31 saves in the National Baseball Series, in which he struck out 1,850 times, struck out 18 times and reached an effectiveness of 3.66 clean runs per nine innings, according to the official site of this sport in the country.

The three-time National Series champion expressed to Radio 26 that he still keeps «the support of the public every time he went out to the field with any shirt», such as the one from Villa Clara, Havana or Matanzas.

His farewell is a see you later, as he will serve as a trainer to help future generations, and teach them that the key to a career is discipline on and off the field.

«I want to be remembered like that, as the one who gave his all every time he stepped on the mound».

Text and photos by Maxdiel Fernández Padrón, Journalism student.