The Las Tunas team representing Cuba in the second edition of the Baseball Champions League Americas (BCL Americas) defeated the Florida Titans (third place in Group A), winners of the Puerto Rico Superior Double-A Baseball League, 11-6 this Friday. It was another game in which the Leñadores managed to hit the opposing pitching with relative ease, at an Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium, where the ball travels a lot off the bat.
They again scored more than 10 runs (11) in this game and connected on more than 15 hits (17). Recall that the Cuban team debuted in this tournament with a 31-7 victory over the Santa Maria Pirates (Curaçao) and then fell 19-15 to the Kane County Cougars, the reigning champions of the American Association of Professional Baseball.
Finishing second in Group B, they had to face the Florida Titans to seek a spot in this Saturday’s Semifinals. To start game, the Puerto Ricans took control in the first inning after scoring a pair of runs against Matanzas left-hander Yoennis Yera. Quickly in the bottom of the inning, Yoelkis Guibert hit his third home run of the tournament to pull his team closer on the scoreboard (2-1). One inning later, Pinar del Río native Tailon Sánchez connected on his first RBI single of the night with a rocket to right field to tie the game (2-2).
In the bottom of the third Yordanis Alarcón helped Cuba take the lead (3-2) with a single to center field, and immediately afterward, Rafael Viñales, Roberto Baldoquín, and Tailon Sánchez again drove in the fourth, fifth, and sixth runs for the Las Tunas team in the game, respectively. A five-run rally in the bottom of the fourth gave the Cuban champions an 11-2 lead, a lead that would prove to be decisive in the game.
Luis Vicente Mateo (H), Yosvani Alarcón (2B), Rafael Viñales (SF), Yordanis Alarcón (H), and for the third time in the game, Tailon Sánchez, drove in a run with a rocket to left field. The Puerto Ricans scored two more runs off Yera in the top of the fifth, and after a fielding error by Yosvani Alarcón at first base, they scored two more in the seventh to score their final runs of the game. From the fifth to the eighth innings, the Cubans failed to score.
The Cuban pitching performed much better than in previous outings; three of the six runs they allowed in the game were unearned due to two errors by first baseman Alarcón. Yera earned the win after pitching five innings, allowing six hits, four runs (three earned), no walks, and notching eight strikeouts. Yankiel Mauris also performed well on the pitch, allowing just one hit in three innings, allowing two unearned runs, and striking out five Puerto Ricans. Alberto Pablo Civil pitched the ninth inning, allowing a single, but no runs, and striking out the 14th run by Cuban pitchers in the game.
Yosvani Alarcón committed two costly errors on defense, but was the standout hutter of the contest, going 4-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBIs. In the tournament he is hitting an astronomical .688, with four doubles, one home run and nine RBIs in three games. With the exception of Yuniesky Larduet, every Cuban hitter collected at least one hit in this game, including six with my multi-hits (Roel Santos, Yosvani Alarcón, Rafael Viñales, Roberto Baldoquín, Yordanis Alarcón, and Tailon Sánchez).
In addition to the Cuban first baseman and Tailon Sánchez, Viñales and Baldoquín each drove in at least two runs. Las Tunas will now face the Kane County Cougars this Saturday in the semifinals of this tournament. The team they shared a group with and lost on Thursday. The host team (Diablos Rojos) will face the Santa María Pirates of Curaçao which eliminated the Tigres de Chinandega of Nicaragua on Friday.
Lineup:
1.Roel Santos (CF): 5-2, 2R, 2B, K (.467)
2.Luis Vicente Mateo (2B): 4-1, 2R, RBI, BB, K (.375)
3.Yoelkis Guibert (RF): 4-1, 2R, HR, RBI, K (.417)
4.Yosvani Alarcón (1B): 5-4, 2R, 2B, 2RBI, 2E (.688)
5.Rafael Viñales (C): 4-2, R, 2RBI (.438)
6.Roberto Baldoquín (3B): 3-2, 2R, 2RBI, 2BB, K (.615)
7.Yordanis Alarcón (DH): 5-2 (.500)
8.Tailon Sánchez (SS): 5-3, 3RBI, K, E(.500)
9.Yuniesky Larduet (LF): 3-0, BB (.364)
Pitching:
Yoennis Yera: 5.0 IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, 8K, W (1-0) (5.40)
Yankiel Mauris: 3.0 IP, H, 2R, 0ER, 5K (0.00)
Alberto Pablo Civil: 1.0 IP, H, 0ER, K (0.00)