The Cuban team was unable to win the title of the IV Baseball Caribbean Cup this Sunday, losing 4-9 to the representation of Puerto Rico in the final of the tournament held in the capital of the Bahamas.
His performance is identical to the one he obtained in the previous version of the tournament, when he lost in the decisive duel with a score of 3-4 against the then host team from Curaçao, recalls a report of the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
silver medal for #Cuba in the Caribbean Cup #Baseball
He lost in the final against Puerto Rico with a 9×4 slate. #baseball https://t.co/It1DTF5KY9 pic.twitter.com/AKiQlNX18d— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) December 12, 2022
For the last game, the Puerto Rican mentor, former major leaguer Juan Igor González, once again used left-handed José Carlos Burgos as a starter, who had dominated the Cuban offense and also won the game played in the preliminary phase, the outlet reported.
Cuba managed to take the lead thanks to a home run by outfielder Alexquemer Sánchez from Granma in the second inning, but capital right-hander Pavel Hernández withstood three consecutive hits, which tied the score in the fourth inning and took him off the mound.
The relay of Leodán Reyes from Pinar del Río, according to this report, left much to be desired, as three hits, a hit by a pitch and a walk were used by the winners to create the decisive seven-run cluster.
The Cubans scored twice in the seventh inning again with Alexquemer as the protagonist with an RBI double, but the disadvantage was insurmountable for those led by Armando Jhonson.
Beyond the new silver medal, and having taken revenge against the people of Curaçao on this occasion, for the Cuban team the election of Yoelkis Guibert as designated hitter for the All-Star team of the contest, which will have its next edition in Puerto Rich. Also qualified was relief pitcher Yeudis Reyes.
The outcome of the tournament highlights the bad moment baseball on the island is experiencing in terms of results in international tournaments, since no national team has been able to win a title this year, except for the one that participated in the World Championship of the recent created discipline of Baseball5.
The losing streak has extended for the last six years, as Cuba has not won an international tournament of any level since the U-15 World Cup held in 2016.
That period has been marked by a prolonged exodus of the best players from all categories, especially the youngest, and an erratic conduct by the authorities of this sport, which has been repeatedly questioned by Cuban fans.
The strategy to get out of this situation, for a sport that has been declared as Cultural Heritage of the Nation, has been topic of discussion in the Cuban parliament, where the deputies were informed this Sunday of the main details of the plan.
