Cuban League Celebrates New Base Hits Champion

When Enriquito’s record-breaking safety finally arrived this afternoon in Pinar’s Capitan San Luis Stadium it almost seemed anticlimactic when judged against what preceded it. The long-awaited base hit that nudged Enrique Diaz above Antonio Pacheco didn’t carry quite the same dramatic flair as the record-tying single of the previous afternoon – the earlier smash had been doubly historic since it had also broken up a late-inning no-hit pitching masterpiece by Pinar right-hander Reinier Verano. Today’s safety – number 2357 – also doesn’t seem to carry quite the same luster since it will only stand as a record number until the next base knock off the bat of the new record holder; hit number 2356 seemed a bit more potent since it had matched a gilded number that had been etched in the Cuban record books for a full decade.

Enriquito Diaz is Cuba's new career base hits leader with 2357 over his 26 seasons.

Record hit number 2357 came with Enrique’s second trip to the plate in the top of the third inning and was stroked off a delivery from Pinar southpaw starter Julio Martínez – a ringing single to left field that plated Yoel Mestre with the game’s first run. But if today’s smash didn’t have quite the same dramatic overtones, the record-breaking line drive was certainly historic enough in its own right. It left Enrique Diaz with a coveted place atop a record book page where his number one status is almost guaranteed to stand unchallenged for some considerable time to come.

Enrique Diaz celebrates record-tying hit number 2356 which broke up Tuesday's no-hit game in Pinar del Rio.

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