The Cuban baseball team concluded its participation in the Premier 12 tournament after failing to advance to the Super Round, following a 6-7 loss to Japan this Sunday, the current champion of the event and undefeated in Group B.
This result sealed Cuba's elimination, which has now suffered three defeats in the competition, marking the first encounter between both teams in the tournament's history, according to the sports publication JIT.
At the Tianmu Stadium in Taipei, China, amid persistent rain, the Japanese team hit eight solid hits and took advantage of the defensive mistakes made by the Cuban team to tilt the game in their favor.
Despite the defeat, Armando Johnson's team fought until the last out against an opponent regarded as the favorite for the title.
The game began with a Japanese dominance, taking advantage of walks and a hit batter given by starter Raymond Figueredo, followed by a run-scoring single from Keita Sano. Although Cuban relievers Geonel Gutiérrez, Frank Luis Medina, and Darío Sarduy managed to partially contain the Asian offense, Japan was able to score five runs before the sixth inning.
The Cuban response came in that same inning with three runs, thanks to a double by Yadir Drake and singles by Erisbel Arruebarrena and Yoan Moncada. Cuba tied the game 6-6 in the seventh inning after an error by Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Shimizu, but a sacrifice fly by Ryoya Kurihara in the eighth inning sealed the final score.
Despite loading the bases in their last at-bat, the Cubans couldn't capitalize on the opportunity, as Moncada and Andy Cosme struck out against the closer Shoma Fujihira.
"We all knew we were up against a great team, the reigning champion from the previous edition, and we feel satisfied because our players never gave up and fought until the very end," said coach Johnson, who also praised the effort of reliever Liván Moinelo, who asked for the ball despite dealing with stomach issues.
With a record of 1-3, Cuba will play a scheduled match this Monday against the representative team of Chinese Taipei, a team that, along with Japan, advanced to the decisive phase, joining the United States and Venezuela, who qualified from Group A.
This result highlights the challenges faced by Cuban baseball on the international stage, characterized by the emigration of talent and structural limitations, increasingly distancing the national sport on the island from the stellar levels it once enjoyed in the past.
Filed under: