[youtube 8AfrbSyzzEs 520]
Premier12, First Round, Pool A: Cuba – Canada 1-5
Canada 300 000 200 5 9 0 Cuba 100 000 000 1 5 1
Pan American Winner Canada defeated Cuba 5-1 in the evening game at Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung on Tuesday. Strong pitching by international baseball veterans Chris Leroux, Andrew Albers and Scott Richmond pathed the way for the Maple Leafs.
Leroux, Albers and Richmond kept the Cuban bats to five hits, a run and three walks in nine innings with Cuba not scoring again after the first. Leroux received the win with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Cuba’s pitching matched their opponents for most of the game, except for two innings. In the first Pete Orr hit a two-run home run and Taylor Green added a RBI single for a quick 3-0 lead. In the seventh Rene Tosoni added another RBI single and Tyler O’Neill scored on a wild pitch for runs number four and five.
Cuba could have answered right away in the first. Leroux was still trying to find the strike zone and loaded the bases with one out, when he hit a batter and walked two. He survived the threat with only Alfredo Despaigne driving in a run through a sac fly. Afterwards Cuba was able to bring a couple of runners to third, but couldn’t drive them in.
Yosbany Torres conceded three hits and three runs (1 ER) in just two thirds of an inning to take the loss. Livan Moinelo struck out nine in six strong innings of relief to keep Cuba in the game.
Cuba’s next task will be the Netherlands in the afternoon game at Intercontinental Stadium on Wednesday. Canada faces Puerto Rico in the evening game at Dou-Liou.