Yesterday, Las Tunas representing Cuba in the second edition of the Baseball Champions League Americas (BCL Americas), fell this Sunday by a score of 6-1 against the Diablos Rojos of Mexico in the final the tournament, held at the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium. The Las Tunas team, representing Cuba in the first edition of the Baseball Champions League Americas (BCL Americas), fell this Sunday by a score of six runs to one against the Diablos Rojos of Mexico in the final of this tournament, held at the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium.
As expected, this title clash wouldn’t have such a lopsided scoreline as previous ones. Today, Las Tunas had to face a higher-level pitching , above all, was more accustomed to pitching in the Mexican high altitude. Las Tunas scored a total of 74 runs in the four games prior to the Final, for an average of 18.5 per game. In all of those games, they had allowed more than 10 runs and 15 hits, something they didn’t reach that offensive output against the Diablos Rojos, as they allowed only five hits and just one run. Before the final, Cuba averaged eight extra-base hits per game (20 2B, 1 3B, and 11 HR), and only Roel Santos managed to double this Sunday.
The legendary Robinson Cano hit a long home run to right field off Havana native Andy Vargas in the first inning to open the scoring (1-0). Mexico City’s second run also came on a home run in the second inning, with José Rondón going yard off Vargas to center field. The Las Tunas scored their only run of the game in the top of the fifth inning: Yuniesky Larduet reached base on a walk, advanced to third on Roel Santos’ double, and scored on Yoelkis Guibert’s infield hit to second base.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the home team added two more runs to extend their lead (4-1). In that inning, Vargas opened with a walk to Francisco Mejía and, after dominating Luis Liberato, allowed singles to Robinson Cano and José Marmolejos (RBI). His replacement (Yankiel Mauri) allowed an RBI single to Arístides Aquino before recording the remaining two outs of the game. Andy Vargas entered this game having allowed just one earned run over 18.0 combined innings across the last three international events in which Cuban teams have participated (Premier 12, Serie de Las Américas, and BCL Americas).
In this game, he allowed six hits in 4.1 innings, four runs, walked three, and struck out five. José Marmolejos drove in the Devils’ fifth run in the seventh inning off Yankiel Mauri (2.2 IP, 4 H, ER, K) from and Luis Liberato knocked in the last run of the game with a single off Albert Valladares one inning later. Alberto Pablo Civil got Robinson Cano and Marmolejos himself to get the final two outs by Cuban pitching.
Offensively, Roel Santos (3-2, 2B, BB, K) and Yoelkis Guibert (4-2, RBI) stood out for Cuba with multi-hits on the day. The remaining hit for the Tuneros was connected by Rafael Viñales. A total of 13 strikeouts were taken by the incurred batters, of the starters only Guibert and Roberto Baldoquín did not strike out. Luis Vicente Mateo (3), Yosvani Alarcón (2) and Viñales (2) struck out on multiple occasions.
Lineup:
1.Roel Santos (CF): 3-2, 2B, BB, K (.500)
2.Luis Vicente Mateo (SS): 4-0, 3K (.385)
3.Yoelkis Guibert (RF): 4-2, RBI (.429)
4.Yosvani Alarcón (DH): 4-0, 2K (.500)
5.Rafael Viñales (1B): 4-1, 2K (.440)
6.Roberto Baldoquín (2B): 4-0 (.409)
7.Yordanis Alarcón (3B): 4-0, K (.391)
8.Andrys Pérez (C): 3-0, K (.500)
PH: Denis Peña: 1-0, K (.250)
9.Yuniesky Larduet (LF): 2-0, R, BB, K (.389)
PH: Héctor Castillo: 1-0 (.000)
Pitching:
-Andy Vargas: 4.2 IP, 6H, 4ER, 3BB, 5K, L (0-2) (3.86)
-Yankiel Mauri: 2.2 IP, 4H, ER, K (1.59)
-Albert Valladares: 0.1 IP, 2H, ER, BB, K (18.00)
-Alberto Pablo Civil: 0.2 IP, 0H, 0ER (0.00)