Cuban players from FEPCUBE repeat victory in second exhibition game and score their first home run

HeDream Team fromFederation of Professional Baseball Players of Cuba (FEPCUBE) repeated victory this Monday in its second exhibition game, this time against the team ofHouston Apollos.

The match was held at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field from the University of Miami, whereThe Cubans won by 2 runs to 0 against their rivals, in a match where the Cuban team hit its first home run.

“Two games, two wins! The dream is just beginning and there are many more to come. “We continue adding and more together than ever”the entity wrote on Twitter.

In nine innings the Cuban players shut out the Houston university students, with a victory for pitcher William Gastón and a game saved for Raidel Orta.

The players sang the national anthem before starting the match.

It was Leonys Martín from Villa Clara who hit the first home run in the history of FEPCUBE. Leonys took the fifth shift in the offensive order and the ball disappeared into right field.

In the first inning, Mesa Jr. hit the first hit of the afternoon-night. The youngest of the Mesa brothers took advantage of his speed to complicate the Houston Apollos defense.

Then, Yordys Valdés struck out and Edgar Quero missed on a long ball to left field.

Peña, director of the Cuban professional team, and his team placed veteran José Ariel Contreras to start the match. The man from Pinar del Río retired all the batters he faced with ground balls through the infield.

Then, first reliever Odrisamer Despaigne exhibited fastballs over 90 miles and also dominated comfortably.

The Dream Team debuted on January 17 against the Miami-Dade College Sharks team.

However, the Dream Team has had to face some casualties and controversies in its short life. First the ballplayerYunel Escobar He distanced himself from FEPCUBE, claiming to have "mixed feelings as an athlete and as a patriot."

Heaudiovisual director Ian Padrón, for his part, was announced last week as spokesperson and person in charge of public relations for the Federation, which was involved ina controversy with the rapper Yotuel for the use of the phrase "Patria y Vida".

The FEPCUBE explained that the extensive contractual agreement with YB Entertainment LLC - Romero's company - contemplated, among other things, a percentage of profits for the “Patria y Vida” brand in the event of selling merchandise where the phrase was included, a version that differs from what the artist tells us.

The FEPCUBE stressed that all decisions related to “Patria y Vida” were made by mutual agreement, demonstrating at all times respect for the brand's identity.

The team emerged to participate in the Intercontinental Baseball Series, scheduled to be held in the Colombian city of Barranquilla starting January 26, an event thatit was cancelled, according to Team Renteria USA - owned by former major leaguer Édgar Rentería and his brother Edinson -, for “reasons beyond the control” of the organization.