The team that will represent Cuba in the V World Baseball Classic yielded this Friday to the Nippon Ham Wrestlers, with a score of 2-11, in the first preparation duel that he carried out in Japan in view of the tournament that begins on March 8.
The cast of the Japan Professional League (NPB)), who used the best players from his squad in the game, dominated from the second inning, when he scored once against left-handed starter Yoenni Yera, according to a report published by the sports portal Hit.
He #Cuba of the World Classic #Baseball lost warm-up match
Nippon Ham fighters beat him 11×2 in a duel that marked the beginning of his international training. #BaseBall https://t.co/gb0nIKCy2N pic.twitter.com/St14oPu9ee— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) February 17, 2023
The pitcher from Matanzas, who charged with the backhand, allowed four more runs in the next inning, when the waiter Kazunari Ishii hit him with a three-stripe tipple.
For the hosts, the winning pitcher, Kosei Yoshida, covered the first third of the game smoothly, before giving way to four relievers in charge of complementing the work.
The island’s army, without the Major League Baseball (MLB) players it has called up, billed once in the sixth act thanks to a double by Alfredo Despaigne, and another in the ninth with a sacrifice fly from Andrys Pérez, who he had replaced Ariel Martínez as receiver, adds the outlet.
In addition to Yera, Yeudis Reyes (2 Runs in 2.1 innings and home run by center fielder Daiki Asama), Javier Mirabal (3 C in 1.1) and Franklyn Quintana (1 C in 1.2) pitched for Cuba.
On offense, the best Cuban was second baseman Dayán García (4-3), followed by Despaigne (4-2) and Guillermo García (4-2). “I focused on making good contacts, the connections came out and I was able to do the job,” Dayán told Hit.
Also speaking to the outlet, mentor Armando Johnson highlighted the sum of 10 unstoppables and the abundance of good contacts, and put the number of walks awarded on the negative side and that six of the eight rivals in charge of opening innings reached the first base .
Johnson recalled that the group has not yet reached its optimal form nor is it complete, the publication refers to.
The next match of the Cuban team to the World Classic is scheduled for this Sunday against the Chunichi Dragons franchise, and will also take place in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.
