Shattered dreams: Cuban baseball will not be in the Tokyo 2020 Games

HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 2 (ACN) The Cuban baseball team was once again unproductive when it comes to the crunch and fell 5-6 to Canada in its second loss in a row, and thus bid farewell to Americas Olympic baseball qualifier held in Florida, United States.

This result leaves Team Cuba out of the 2020 Tokyo Games, something that undoubtedly hurts a whole island that has always dreamed of, and has enjoyed, the Olympic gold in the sport of balls and strikes.

The Canadians scored three runs in the first inning against Cuban starter—and game loser—Carlos Juan Viera, who had a performance to forget, as in only two thirds he allowed four hits, including Erick Wood's RBI double and a walk.

To his rescue came right-hander Yariel Rodríguez, who closed the inning with a strikeout, the first of 10 in the following six innings. He also gave four bases on balls and allowed three singles and a solo home run by Michael Crouse in the seventh. The Canadians scored another two runs with Rodriguez on the mound and a sixth one off second reliever Livan Moinelo in the eighth.

The four pitchers used by Cuban coach Armando Ferrer allowed only nine hits and struck out 14 batters, five of whom were left-handed. However, they walked eight Canadians, a fact that the experienced manager Ernie Whitt made the most of.

Coach Ferrer moved the lineup and sent several pinch hitters to the plate, but Team Cuba failed to make good use of its 11 hits and the three errors made by the northern defense. No one batted in the necessary runs.

For the Cubans, second baseman Yadil Mujica went 4-3 with an RBI, but the team’s sluggers—namely Yordanis Samón, Lisban Correa and Yosvani Alarcón—fell short of the expectations, as among the three only the former boasted a single.

Today, in a game of pure formality, Cuba will play against Colombia, also eliminated. In Group B, Venezuela and Canada advanced to the Super Round and will seek to end first today. Meanwhile, in Group A, Team U.S.A. already qualified for the next phase. The second team will be the winner of Wednesday's game between Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.