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The Cuba team lost 4-1 to Puerto Rico this Monday at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan during their third appearance in the VI World Baseball Classic, a result that secured the Puerto Ricans a spot in the quarterfinals and will force the Cubans to "play for their lives" in the last match of the round.
With this victory, Puerto Rico improved its record to 3-0 and secured the first ticket from Group A to the next phase of the tournament.
For its part, Cuba (2-1) will need to seek its qualification on Wednesday against Canada at 3:00 p.m., in a crucial match to remain in the championship.
Early Boricua attack
The Cuban opener Julio Robaina faced difficulties from the start. In the second inning, the Puerto Ricans combined a walk with three hits, including a double from captain Martín Maldonado that cleared the bases and gave Puerto Rico the lead.
The local team's fourth run came in the fifth inning when Carlos Cortés hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Josimar Cousin.
Robaina took the loss after allowing four hits and three earned runs, while the Cuban pitching staff struck out nine batters and limited Puerto Rico to a total of six hits.
Good substitution, but without offensive support
The Cuban bullpen had a solid performance.
Josimar Cousin pitched 2.2 innings, allowed one run, and struck out four batters, while Luis Miguel Romero, Emmanuel Chapman, Armando Dueñas, and Pedro Santos handled the rest of the work without allowing any runs.
However, the offense did not come through again.
Cuba managed only two hits throughout the entire game, both extra-base hits: doubles by Yiddi Cappé and Alfredo Despaigne. End of story.
It was precisely Despaigne's hit that allowed for the only Cuban run in the sixth inning.
Missed opportunities
The Puerto Rican pitching staff finished with 10 strikeouts, although they also allowed six walks and hit one batter, opportunities that the Cuban offense was unable to capitalize on.
The starter Elmer Rodríguez pitched three innings without allowing any runs, before the Puerto Rican bullpen maintained control of the game. Finally, Fernando Cruz and Edwin Díaz closed out the game to secure the victory and Puerto Rico's qualification.
Everything will be decided against Canada
After the defeat, Cuba was forced to win its last group stage match.
On Wednesday against Canada, the team led by Germán Mesa will seek a victory that allows them to advance to the quarter-finals of the World Classic, in a match that promises to be crucial for the fate of the islanders in the tournament.
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