HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 1 (acn) The Cuban national team will travel from Seoul, South Korea, to the Japanese city of Osaka today to resume their training plan for the 4th World Baseball Classic (WSB).
After achieving one win and two losses in the Taiwanese city of Taichung, the Caribbean side lost twice again on South Korean soil.
"These games are very important because in addition to giving us the possibility of implementing some variants, we can get an idea closer to the level to be faced," manager Carlos Martí told JIT sports publication.
"We should have reached better results in these games, but the most important thing is the assessments we made, ¨said Martí when summarizing five matches in which he used all his position players and 12 of the 13 pitchers, as right-hander Jonder Martinez joined them on Saturday in Seoul city.
Outfielders Roel Santos (8 for 20 / .400) and Yoelkis Céspedes (6 for 16 / .375) were on fire and cleared any doubts, with the first of them very solid as leadoff hitter, even against left-handers.
It was also encouraging the contribution of Frederich Cepeda (4 for 9 / .444), only member of the team who has attended the three previous editions of the universal event and the rise of Alfredo Despaigne (5 for 17 / .294) and (4 for 9 with two RBIs in the last two games).
Frank Camilo Morejón (3 for 6 / .500) showed his class after overcoming stomach discomfort while the also catcher Yosvani Alarcón (2 for 14 / .143) hit Cuba´s only home run so far in their training tour.
The offensive team average is of .255, with 16 runs scored and 22 allowed, six errors (966) and highlight for Vladimir Banos and Lazaro Blanco as starting pitchers.
The former pitched 8.2 innings in which he faced 31 batters allowing one run and five hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Meanwhile, Blanco faced 13 opponents surrendering no runs and only one hit, with two strikeouts and a walk.
However, Cuba´s only win went to lefty Yoanni Yera, as reliever in the first match, when he pitched five scoreless innings with six hits and equal number of strikeouts without walks against 20 opponents.
Pitching Coach Orelvis Ávila pointed out that his pupils covered 45 innings allowing 50 hits, with 28 strikeouts and 20 walks (one intentional).
Cuba´s other pitchers who surrendered the other rival runs were Noelvis Entenza (5 in 4.1 innings), Liván Moinelo (5 in 2.2), Yosvani Torres (4 in 4.2), Miguel Lahera (3 in 2.2) and José Ángel García (2 in 1).
In Osaka the caribbean side will face the Orix Buffaloes (Friday) and the Seibu Lions (Sunday), both belonging to the Japanese professional circuit (NPB).
That same day, Cubans will make the trip to Tokyo, venue of the qualifying group B, and two days later they will rival Japan, WBC double monarch and bronze medalist in the last edition, to then face China and Australia, in that order.
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