HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 23 (acn) Cuba lost 1-3 in Taichung to the Chinatrust Brothers, club from the local professional league, in the third game of its Asian warm-up tour heading the 4th World Baseball Classic.
Cuba reached the top of the ninth with a 1-0 lead, but its bullpen was not at the height when lefty Livan Moinello, who lost the game, and right hander Raidel Martinez allowed three runs, with 3 hits and two walks in that inning.
The run of the Cuban side was scored in the seventh frame by DH William Saavedra and it was an unearned run due to an error by the opponent pitcher.
The Caribbean squad had the chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth when having two men on bases with only one out, but the Brothers closer, Lin Yu-ching, forced two Cuban pinch hitters to fly out, thus ending the game.
The team coached by Carlos Marti concluded its tour of Taiwan with balance of one win and two losses as on opening day they won 6-2, but then lost 2-4, in both cases against the local national squad.
Now they will travel to South Korea and end their tour in Japan, where they will play the first round of the WBC against the Japanese hosts, Australia and China.