Cuba Eliminated in Semifinals of the Caribbean Series
HAVANA TIMES – The Alzanes de Granma representing Cuba were eliminated on Wednesday evening from the Caribbean Series losing their semifinal do-or-die match 7-4 against the team from the Dominican Republic (Aguilas Cibaeñas).
On a curious note both teams started Cuban pitchers. Lazaro Blanco pitched another good game for Granma allowing only two runs in 5.2 innings. Meanwhile the ex MLB, Yuniesky Maya only lasted 1.1 innings allowing the three runs that had the Cubans ahead for the first two thirds of the game.
The high level series included five teams (Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic) playing in Jalisco, Mexico.
Last year Cuba, also represented by its league champion Granma team, was eliminated in the semifinals losing 1-0 to the Mexican team.
Cuba jumped off to a 3-0 lead with a big second inning that included a double by Carlos Benitez and a triple from Frederich Cepeda, but it didn’t hold. The Dominicans roared back with two runs in the sixth, three in the seventh and two in the eighth to cap their scoring. Cuba got one more in the eighth on a solo homer from Frederich Cepeda who went 3 for 3 on the night.
Ramon Ramirez was the winning pitcher throwing a scoreless sixth and seventh innings in relief. Miguel Lahera took the loss for Cuba allowing two runs in only a third of an inning.
Both teams batted 10 hits and the Dominicans committed four errors to one for Cuba.