Finally, there was no consolation for Cuba in the closure of the Caribbean series Gran Caracas 2023. Carlos Martí’s Agricultores, who had accumulated five defeats in a row, added another line to their box of setbacks this Wednesday after falling 10-4 against the Federales de Chiriquí (Panama) on the last day of the qualifying phase .
The Antilleans came out ahead from the opening episode due to a double RBI by Raico Santos, but before halfway through the game the Panamanians had already turned the scoreboard around with Johnny Santos, who cleaned the bases and drove in three runs with a double in the third inning. Joe DeLuca, Rodrigo Orozco, Jahdiel Santamaría and Jorge Anthony Bishop also scored runs in those initial attacks by the Istmeños.
Cuban pitching was completely shipwrecked again. Seven pitchers from Agricultores paraded down the mound, and among all of them they gave away 11 tickets, allowed 15 hits and hit two balls. If the run balance wasn’t higher, it’s because the Feds left 16 runners floating on the bases.
Leandro Martínez, who had not seen action throughout the tournament, opened the duel for the ninth led by Carlos Martí and could not complete the first third. The lefty was out of control and transferred four rivals, while he gave up four hits and the same number of runs. His first reliever, Carlos Santana, couldn’t get outs (he allowed three rockets).
Of all the Cuban pitchers, lefty Ángel Sánchez was the best, with 3.1 scoreless innings, during which he overcame various obstacles. However, in the final stages Alberto Pablo Civil could not maintain the difference, as they made three scores in the ninth.
Although they made no errors, the Cuban defense found itself in trouble, particularly catchers Yosvany Alarcón and Rafael Viñales, who were robbed of seven bases.
With the wood, Raico Santos drove in two runs, Yunieski Larduet hit three rockets, while Viñales and Yordanis Alarcón finished with two hits each. By the way, Yordanis hit eight hits in his last nine tournament at-bats, finishing with a high .407 average.
The winner of the clash was the right-hander Harold Araúz, exactly the winner in the final clash between Cuba and Panama of the 2019 Caribbean Series. The Federales starter walked six innings without drama, with only five hits and one clean on his account. , without tickets and three retired by way of strikes.
Of the relievers, left-handed Ángel Cuan faced difficulties as he gave up three runs in the seventh, but Abdiel Mendoza and Wilfredo Pereira were in charge of quelling the Antillean rebellion and getting the last seven outs of the game.
In this way, Cuba closes the Greater Caracas 2023 Caribbean Series in eighth position, with the heavy load of six losses in a row. Those led by Carlos Martí beat Curaçao 3-1 in their debut, but then they lost consecutively to the Dominican Republic (3-1), Venezuela (20-3), Mexico (6-5), Colombia (5-4), Puerto Rico (4-3) and Panama (10-4).
