MADRID, Spain.- Team Cuba lost this Tuesday against the Netherlands in the opening match of the Classic V Baseball World Cup, developed in the intercontinental stadium in Taichung, Taiwan.
The Dutch, Cuba’s main executioner in the last two editions of the World Classic (2013 and 2017), defeated the Cubans 4-2; who for the first time have Major League players on their roster.
The Caribbean opened the scoring in the second inning of the game with a double by second baseman Yadil Mujica, who drove outfielder Yoelkis Guibert.
The Netherlands tied the score in the third inning with connections from outfielder Rogear Bernardina and first baseman Didi Gregorius. And in the sixth they sentenced the game with another three runs. Although the Cubans reduced the difference in the seventh inning, again thanks to a double by Guibert and an RBI by Mujica, they were unable to score again.
For Team Cuba, starter Yariel Rodríguez Rodríguez (Dragones de Chunichi), Onelki García, Carlos Juan Viera, Luis Miguel Romero and Liván Moinelo took the mound. While Tom de Block, Derec Wes and Erick Méndez (winner of the match) did it for the Dutch team.
The Cubans, who could not count on the experienced Major Leaguers Andy Ibáñez (Detroit Tigers) and Alfredo Despaigne (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks) in their debut due to being injured, will try to achieve their first victory of the Classic this Thursday against Italy, one of the favorites of the contest.
Group A, led for the moment by the Netherlands, as well as Cuba and Italy includes Taiwan and Panama.
In the fifth edition of the World Baseball Classic, 20 teams participate, with four venues for the first phase: Taiwan, Tokyo, Arizona and Florida.
The final phase will be played in the United States, winner of the last edition in 2017.
