Fukuoka. Record Baseball World Champion Cuba has a winning start into the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The team of manager Victor Mesa beat Brazil 5-2 on Sunday afternoon to earn the victory in their tournament opener at the Yahoo! Dome in Fukuoka, Japan. For Brazil it was the second loss in as many games after another strong performance in Pool A of the first round.
After four scoreless innings in which Brazil once again smelled an upset, the favorite struck first in the top of the fifth. Jose Fernandez crossed the plate for the lead thanks to a groundout by Guillermo Heredia. Alexei Bell followed with a RBI single on a soft flyball to left field, scoring Erisbel Arruebarruena.
Cuba extended their advantage to five runs in the sixth. Another RBI groundout plated Frederich Cepeda. With the bases loaded Erisbel Arruebarruena capped the three-run frame with a two-run single to left.
Brazil was able to answer with two runs on its own in the bottom half of the sixth, when Daniel Matsumoto singled in Felipe Bruin and Leonardo Reginatto scored during a double play to short. However this was all the team of manager Barry Larkin would get, as they failed to initiate another comeback try.
Ismel Jimenez (W, 1-0) was Cuba’s star on the mound, allowing just four hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out six. After Freddy Alvarez lost the shutout bid in 1 1/3 innings of relief, Raciel Iglesias closed it out with five strikeouts in three-innings of one-hit ball.
Andre Rienzo (L, 0-1) took the loss for Brazil. He issued just one hit in 4 2/3 strong frames, but also gave up two runs and four walks. Except for the fifth and the sixth, Brazilian pitching matched Cuba’s bats, but without the necessary run support it was only a sidebar.
Brazil is going to have Monday off before facing China on Tuesday. Cuba takes on China on Monday with the clash against Japan waiting for Wednesday.
Results Pool A:
Saturday, March 2:
Brazil 3 – Japan 5
Sunday, March 3:
Brazil 2 – Cuba 5
Photo: World Baseball Classic, Inc.
