Cuba’s Chapman in Scoreless Debut

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, March 8 — Southpaw Aroldis Chapman made his much awaited Major League Baseball debut on Monday in a spring training game against Kansas City.

Chapman, 22, who signed a six-year US $30 million contract with the Reds, pitched the third and fourth innings in the game won by Cincy 14-5.

In the third the hard throwing lefty, who played for Holguin in the Cuban league, gave up a hit to Brayan Peña (a 28-year-old Havana born catcher) and a walk to Brian Anderson, but got out of the inning unscathed.  He went on to strikeout two in a fast 11-pitch fourth.

In all Chapman was reported to have made 26 pitches, with 15 being strikes.