Ariel Martinez went 2-for-4 and hit his 13th homerun, while also scoring three times. The slugger also drove in three runs to lead the Nippon Ham Fighters to a 5-1 victory over the Orix Buffaloes at Es Con Field in Hokkaido on Saturday.
The first baseman has knocked in five runs in his last four games. The native of Matanzas, Cuba raised his average to .241 and his total of RBIs to 55 on the season. The infielder will more than likely be the catcher for Cuba in the upcoming Premier 12.
Martínez has been a key figure in his second season with Nippon Ham with the wood. The Cuban was selected to the league’s All-Star Game, making him 2-for-2 with the Fighters in that category and could be a future cornerstone for the Japanese squad.
Cuban action on the day:
NPB:
Ariel Martínez (NH) 3-2,HR,3RBI,3R
Coco Montes (YOM) 5-2*
Christian Rodríguez (CD) 0-0,DR
KBO:
Guillermo Heredia (SSG) 5-3
CPBL:
No Cuban action on the day
*Cuban-American