The Cuban baseball team qualified for the semifinal round of the World Classic after defeating Australia 4-3 in the match this Thursday. The so-called Team Asere made it to the top four teams in the tournament for the first time in 17 years, despite the absence of two of its star players, Yoenis Céspedes and Andy Ibáñez.
The monumental Tokyo Dome stadium, in Japan, was the setting in which those led by Armando Johnson achieved success after an uncertain start. Australia put number on the board in the second inning thanks to Darryl George getting to second base without being put out out and Aaron Whitetefield hit a sacrifice hit for his teammate to advance, all this before the pitches of Cuban Yariel Rodríguez.
Team Asere’s reaction came in the third inning. Against Australian reliever Mitch Neunborn Moncada reached second base in left field and Luis Robert tied the game.
The Cuban counterattack occurred in the bottom of the fifth inning with three races. Santos started with a hit, and got Moncada and Robert to load the bases. Alfredo Despaigne hit a deep fly ball and drove in the go-ahead run. Then came two singles in a row by Erisbel Arruebarrena and Yoelkis Guibert, who managed to raise the score to 4-1, in favor of Team Asere.
so celebrated #elCubaClasico their advance to the semifinal of the #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/jaedfYyoWf
— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) March 15, 2023
When everything suggested that victory was more than certain, a technical decision made Cuba tremble. Armando Johnson took out Miguel Romero to place the lefty Roenis Elías. A hesitation from the Cuban in the top of the sixth inning allowed Rixon Wingrove to hit a home runtwo races took place that brought Australia closer.
“Cuba’s management improvised in the sixth and it cost them two runs,” wrote the journalist Francys Romero on their social networks. “The substitution of Luis Miguel Romero (35 pitches) and the best Cuban pitcher of the tournament is illogical. Romero should have delivered Moinelo in the seventh and then this one to Martínez in the final.”
Roenis Elías adjusted and was able to get the sixth and seventh innings without much difficulty, while Livan Moinelo took the mound for the eighth inning and together with Raidel Martinez, who closed the game, they were in charge of turning off the Australian drive.
The next game for the Cuban team will be in Miami on March 19 at 7 pm at LoanDepot Park, home of the Marlins. The rival is still to be defined.
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