HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 21 (acn) Cuba lost 2-4 to Taiwan at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, thus tying their warm-up series at one win each, before the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Cuba went ahead when scoring twice in the first inning thanks to consecutive RBI singles by first baseman Guillermo Aviles and catcher Osvaldo Vazquez.
Taiwanese starting pitcher was always in problems and was replaced in the third by lefty Ni Fu-te, who had experience in MLB with the Detroit Tigers in 2009 and 2010, and he pitched three scoreless innings allowing only one hit, thus proving the problems of the Caribbean lineup when facing left-handed pitchers.
Vladimir Baños, Cuba´s starter, had no problems until the sixth frame when former LA Dodgers Huh Chin-lung hit a 2 RBI-double to level the score 2-2.
Baños was then replaced by lefty Leandro Martinez who yielded the locals take a 3-2 lead after third baseman Chiang Chih-sieng hit a sacrifice fly.
Miguel Lahera, Cuba´s third reliever, surrendered Taiwan´s fourth run in the eighth inning driven in by Lin Yi-chuan.
Cuba will play another warm-up game today versus the Brothers Baseball Club, team of the Chinese Professional Baseball League, in this same ballpark.
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