  Win & Loss for Cuba in Thunder Series
Nederlands
  TAICHUNG / TAOYUAN (Taiwan) -
The national team of Cuba opened the Thunder Series in Taiwan with a loss, then won the next game.
In the opener, Cuba lost 2-1 to the national squad of Taiwan on Saturday, then an All Star Team from the Chinese Professional Baseball League was defeated on Sunday, 1-0.
For the Taiwanese squad, the Series is part of its preparations for the upcoming World Baseball Classic Qualier, which opens on November 15 in Taichung.
Taiwan then will meet Thailand, the Philippines and New Zealand.
In the opening game on Saturday in Taichung Intercontinental Stadium, Taiwan got good pitching and defense.
Cuba could have taken a lead in the second inning, but then it left the bases loaded.
Taiwan then reacted by scoring two runs on four hits in the home of the second inning off starting pitcher Yadier Pedroso.
In the fourth inning, Alfredo Despaigne led off for Cuba with a double and scored on a fielder choice-grounder by Ariel Pestano to narrow the deficit to 2-1, but this was to be Cuba's lone run in the game.
In the top of the ninth inning, Cuba got another scoring opportunity when it had runners on first and second base with one out.
Pinch-hitter Michel Enrique then drove the ball into the outfield for an apparent basehit, but the ball was caught by Kuo-Hui Kao, who then doubled up the runner on second base, who had left on the hit to end the inning and the game.
Taiwan used eight pitchers in the game, who gave up only six hits combined to Cuba and struckout nine batters.
Cuban manager Victor Mesa stated after the game that the ''players were suffering from the jet lag. We travel a long way here, and it if difficult to adjust to the time difference''.
Cuba arrived in Taiwan on wednesday.
On Sunday, in Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium, Cuba won only 1-0 against an All Star Team from the CPBL in a pitching duel between Freddy Alvarez and Hong-Cheng Lai.
The lone run in the game was scored on a homerun by Alfredo Despaigne in the fourth inning.
Cuba also meets the CPBL All Stars on Tuesday, then travels to Fukuoka in Japan on Wednesday.
There, the Samurai Japan Games will take place on November 16 and 17 in Fukuoka and Sapporo where Cuba meets the national team of Japan.
(November 12)
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