The Cuban team that will participate in the fifth edition of the World Baseball Classic defeated the Chunichi Dragons 3-2 on Sunday in a preparation match held in Okinawa, Japan.
After receiving a beating (11-2) against the Nippon Ham Fighters in the first warm-up match a couple of days ago, the Antilleans recovered and got their first win in the Asian tour before the Classic, which will begin on the 8th of March in Chinese Taipei.
The West Indians billed quickly against the opener Hiroshi Suzuki, who scored one in the same opening episode. Yoelkis Guibert hit a long double to center field, advanced to third on Yurisbel Gracial’s groundout to the infield and went through the register on Alfredo Despaigne’s loose fly ball behind the infield.
With the early advantage, Cuban starter Carlos Juan Viera began his work and passed without major setbacks, largely due to two catches stealing from catcher Ariel Martínez, who showed power and precision in two shots to second.
The right-hander from Las Tunas completed the first third blank, faced 11 batters, hit three hits and retired two rivals via the strikes, without tickets in your account. In general terms, Viera looked solid, with good speed and command, mixing his repertoire very well.
His relief, the left-handed Liván Moinelo, had his first presentation after a long period of competitive inactivity. The man from Pinar del Río had not thrown since the end of his contest in Japan, last year, and to a certain extent he accused him, since he did not see himself with the usual dominance of him.
The stellar reliever for the Softbank Falcons in the Japanese circuit made 18 pitches (eight of them in the wrong zone), gave away a ticket and hit two good connections to the outfield, although he settled the inning without allowing annotations.
Later, one of the serpentineros from the Cuban reserve entered the scene; the right-hander Marlon Vega, who faced many complications. The man from Mayabe gave away three walks, conceded two hits and scored two runs that turned the scoreboard around in the sixth inning.
However, the Cuban team knew how to come from behind in the last third. In the seventh they tied with a double by Yadir Drake, a groundout to second by Dayán García and a long sacrifice fly by Ariel Martínez, who made very good contact to scare away his offensive ghosts.
Cuba produced the decisive one in the ninth after one out, with a single to the center of Dayán García, a passed ball Japanese catcher and ninth-bat RBI single, Luis Vicente Mateo, who had two hits in the game.
While the offense did its job, pitchers Naykel Cruz and Franklyn Quintana were in charge of closing the game in 3.2 innings of joint work. The lefty from Matanzas took out the eight batters he faced with a strikeout included, while the right-hander from Pinero retired the ninth with a pair of strikeouts, although he walked and committed a foul. wild pitch without consequences.
“Grateful for the trust of the management, which gave me the chance to get out of a difficult situation. I stayed focused and I am very happy to have contributed to this victory”, said Naykel Cruz –winner of the match– in statements that collects the official site HIT.
For his part, Cuban mentor Armando Johnson highlighted in an interview with journalist Roberto Ramírez the attitude of the squad after the tough defeat against Nippon Ham, and assured that in these preparation matches you should not win at all costs, but rather comply with specific objectives.
“The purpose is for the players to internalize the work that corresponds to them in each match situation,” said the director, who did not announce who their openers will be for the next preparation matches on Japanese soil against the Yakult Swallows, the Giants of Yomiuri and the Softbank Falcons.
