| | |  Americas & Beyond | March 2009 
Cuba Eliminates Mexico, 7-4, at Classic
 Alan Schwarz - New York Times
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| | Mexico's Miguel Ojeda pumps his fist after beating out an infield hit against Cuba in the fourth inning of their World Baseball Classic game in San Diego Monday, March 16, 2009. (AP/Mark J. Terrill) | |
San Diego - Cuba’s streak is still alive.
One loss away from being bounced from a major international tournament before the final for the first time in 50 years, Cuba eliminated Mexico from the World Baseball Classic with a 7-4 win Monday night.
The victory puts Cuba in the position where another win on Wednesday would advance them to the W.B.C. semifinals in Los Angeles this weekend. Wednesday’s game will be Cuba against the loser of Tuesday night’s game between Japan and Korea at Petco Park.
“We said yesterday that we were a team that was ready to overcome defeat,” Cuba’s manager, Higinio Velez, said afterward through a translator. “So here we are.”
Cuba immediately took control of Mexico. Yulieski Gourriel’s first-inning, two-out single gave them a 1-0 lead, and cleanup hitter Frederich Cepeda’s R.B.I. single made it 2-0 in the top of the third.
Mexico answered with single runs in the third and fourth to tie the score at 2, but Cuba was merely lying in wait for the Mexicans’ suspect pitching to falter.
The top of Cuba’s order loaded the bases to open the fifth, bringing up the perfect man for the moment: Cepeda. A powerful switch-hitter who already was 10 for 17 in the tournament, Cepeda blasted a double to deep right-center field to clear the bases and give Cuba a 5-2 lead. Following Sunday’s lethargic 6-0 loss to Japan, Cepeda’s thunderclap line drive served notice that Cuba was by no means dead yet.
“I think we put on a great show,” Cepeda said.
Cuba got a bit of a scare in the bottom of the inning when their starting pitcher, Norge Luis Vera, fell to the ground in pain after throwing a pitch. He was removed with what appeared to be a cramp in his calf. This was not the night for Cuba to have to summon its bullpen early -- two of their top relievers, Yulieski Gonzalez and Yunesky Maya, were ineligible to play because they each had thrown 30 pitches the night before.
Even more vexing, Cuba manager Higinio Velez had removed the pitchers after 30 pitches specifically so they would be available. A poorly translated memo given to him by a W.B.C. official said that a day’s rest was required after more than 30 pitches, when the rule actually reads 30 or more. Velez pleased tournament organizers by understanding the mistake and not filing a protest, but he still had a game to win -- and losing his starting pitcher early was not part of that plan.
The veteran right-hander Pedro Lazo entered the game clearly less than loose, as he continued to stretch his torso between pitches. But he stifled Mexico, allowing solo home runs in the eighth and ninth after Cuba had stretched its lead to 7-2.
“This team had a lot more in it,” Mexico left fielder Christian Presichi said. “Unfortunately, we did not do the things that we were supposed to.”
Mexico lost both of its games just 15 miles away from its border. At least not many fans made the trip -- Monday’s ticket sales reached 9,329, but the only about half appeared to be used. At times the stadium was so quiet, the only sound came from the furious clapping from the top of the Cuban dugout.
It will only get louder on Wednesday. |
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