The Cuban team that will participate in the upcoming Premier 12 fell this Friday against its Korean counterpart by a score of 2-0 in a clash that took place in the imposing Gocheok Sky Dome, stadium of the Kiwoom Heroes, a team from that professional league. Asian country.
This game was the first in a series called the K-Baseball Series. The locals scored in the first episode against left-handeder Yoennis Yera. The hurler issued a walk, allowed a hit, and immediately afterwards Cuban second baseman, Yadil Mujica, made an error with a fly ball to short of the RF that led to the first of the game.
In the second inning, the Korean sixth hitter, Seong-yong Moon, stole second base after receiving a walk and then Lee Hyoung (9th Batter, CF), hit a ground ball to rightfield to bring in the second run of the game. Yera worked three full innings in which he yielded three hits, walked two and allowed two runs (1 earned).
He threw a total of 65 pitches, using 29 fastballs, 28 sliders and 4 forks. The Cuban offense could only scratch out three singles by Rafael Viñales, Yadil Mujica and Lázaro Armenteros. Alfredo Despaigne, Armenteros and Roberto Baldoquín werw the only hitters in the lineup that did not strike out on the evening. Armenteros also drew a walk and stole a base, while Despaigne also received a walk.
Yankiel Mauris replaced Yera in the fourth inning and hurled a scoreless frame, walking one and fanning a batter. Frank Herrera got out of the fifth without any incurring any damage despite allowing two hits, in that inning he was the beneficiary of a double play and retired the last batter via strikes. Maikel Taylor also pitched a scoreless sixth, in which struck out an opponent and allowed one hit.
Geonel Gutiérrez faced three batters in the ‘lucky seventh’, fanning two of the four batters he faced. The last out of that seventh was recorded by Leodan Reyes, but not before allowing a hit. Frank Abel Álvarez also allowed a hit at the bottom of the eighth, but he kept the Koreans at bay and didn’t allow any runs. The two hurlers from Pinar del Río,Cuba were the only Cuban pitchers who exceeded 90.0 MPH, with 147 Km/h (~91.3 MPH) and 150 Km/h (~93.2 MPH) respectively on the day.
This Saturday at 01:00 AM Cuban time the teams will face each other again on the same stage. On November 3, the Cuban team will travel to Taichung, where they will be facing teams from the Industrial League on the 5th, 6th and 7th of the month. A day later they will move to Taipei, on the 10th and 11th they will be playing exhibition games officially scheduled by the WBSC for the event.
Cuban Lineup:
1.Yoelkis Guibert (CF): 4-0, K
2.Yoan Moncada (3B): 3-0, K
PH. Christian Rodríguez: 1-0, K
3.Erisbel Arruebarrena (SS): 3-0, K
PH. Luis Vicente Mateo: 1-0, K
4.Alfredo Despaigne (DH): 3-0, BB
5.Rafael Viñales (RF): 3-1, K
6.Lázaro Armenteros (LF): 2-1, SB, BB
7.Roberto Baldaquín (1B): 2-0
PH. Guillermo Aviles: 1-0
8.Andrys Pérez (C): 3-0, K
9.Yadil Mujica (2B): 2-1, K,
PH. Jean Walters: 1-0
Pitching:
Yoenni Yera: 3.0 IP, 3H, 2R, ER, 2BB, 3K
Yankiel Mauris: 1.0 IP, 0H, 0ER, BB, K
Frank Herrera: 1.0 IP, 2H, 0ER, K
Maykel Taylor: 1.0 IP, H, 0ER, K
Geonel Gutiérrez: 0.2 IP, 0ER, 2K, BB
Leodan Reyes: 0.1 IP, H, 0ER
Frank Abel Alvarez: 1.0 IP, H, 0ER