Cuban baseball team forced to win at Serie del Caribe Gran Caracas 2023

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 7 (ACN) Pressed by the need to win, Agricultores de Cuba will face today the Puerto Rican team Indios de Mayagüez, in the sixth and penultimate preliminary day of the 65th Gran Caracas 2023 Caribbean Series.

The Cuban team led by Carlos Marti occupies the eighth and last place in the standings with a balance of one victory on the opening day against Curacao (3-1), and a succession of four defeats, which not only forces them to beat Tuesday the Puerto Ricans and tomorrow the Panamanian Federales de Chiriqui, but also to wait for the remaining results.

Agricultores is the worst team in terms of clean runs average (6.75), while the Puerto Rican Indians, with a record of two hits and three losses, have yet to hit a home run and are the team that has left the most runners on base (44).

For today's game, the Cuban mentor announced as starter Cesar Garcia, who did an excellent job in his debut against the Wild Cats of Curacao, although the success came from reliever Andy Vargas.

Marti needs to make a radical change in the lineup today. He does not have much to choose from on the dugout, with several injured players who have not yet played.

But the regulars are not responding. Only catcher Yosvani Alarcon and shortstop Andres de la Cruz, who has to move up to second bat and lower outfielder Raico Santos, who is involved in a lethal offensive slump, are responding.

After its return to the regional baseball event in 2014, in the Venezuelan fair of Margaritas Islands, Cuba has faced only once a representative of Indios de Mayagüez.

But if Agricultores does not beat Indios and Federales in succession, it would bring to Cuba the worst of all performances of a representative of the island. And that would give a lot to talk about in a country where baseball is passion.