The Cuban national baseball team faced its second consecutive defeat in the Premier 12 tournament on Thursday, losing to South Korea (4-8). This outcome severely jeopardizes their chances of advancing in Group B. The game started unfavorably for the island early on, as starting pitcher Liván Moinelo, a key player for the team, struggled to assert his usual dominance.
Moinelo, who leads in effectiveness in Japan's Pacific League with a 1.88 ERA, allowed six runs in the second inning, including a grand slam by Do-Yeong Kim, the game's offensive standout with five RBIs. In just two innings, the left-hander gave up four hits and two walks, leaving his team in a challenging position from the start.
Brief Glimmers of Hope Amidst Struggles
Although the Cuban batters were largely contained by the South Korean pitchers for most of the game, they showed signs of life in the eighth inning. Yoelkis Guibert and Rafael Viñales hit back-to-back home runs, narrowing the gap. Slugger Alfredo Despaigne also contributed a run in the seventh inning, but their efforts fell short of overturning the score.
Reliever Andy Vargas delivered an impressive performance, pitching one and two-thirds innings without allowing any runs and striking out four, a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy day for Cuba.
Injury Concerns and Tough Road Ahead
The day dealt another blow to the team with Yoan Moncada suffering an injury to his right hand. Although tests ruled out a fracture, his availability for the upcoming games is uncertain, as reported by team doctor Dr. Francisco Montesino to JIT.
After this setback, the island's team, led by manager Armando Johnson, must win the remaining three games and rely on other results to try and advance to the next round. Cuba will take a break on Friday and face Australia on Saturday in a crucial match for their tournament aspirations. In another Group B matchup, host Chinese Taipei defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1, solidifying their lead with two victories.