Havana, February 22 (RHC) – An old baseball adage states that when there’s good pitching, there’s no hitting, and another maxim holds that over 80% of a victory depends on the pitching and defense. Yesterday, in the second game of the friendly series between Cuba and Nicaragua, both of these principles were borne out.
The Cuban national team secured their first victory in this series, 3-1, thanks in large part to their pitchers, who allowed ten hits but managed to get the outs, despite some defensive lapses.
Nicaragua’s mound was also well defended, but the wildness of some of their pitchers took its toll, and their defense also let them down, costing them one of their three runs. The other run was undeniable, courtesy of Ariel Martínez, who hit Cuba’s first and only home run in two games.
Germán Mesa said he was satisfied with the outcome of the game, beyond just the win, and highlighted the pitchers’ performance. “Each one came to perform and fulfill their role, with the starter trying to get as far as possible, and then the relievers with specific duties, some pitching two innings and others just one.”
In short, the Cubans only managed four hits, with two defensive errors, and other mistakes that don’t register as blunders but are just as costly, if not more so. In this regard, fielding is crucial heading into the World Baseball Classic, because lapses like these are fatal when the level of competition rises.
“I think the team is finding its form. We’ve had some defensive lapses, which we need to keep improving on to iron out those little details. Offensively, we need to raise our level. In my opinion, the problem is our pitch selection; although, without trying to justify anything, the umpires are calling strikes in a zone that isn’t what we’ll have in the Classic, which is tighter, more like MLB,” Ariel Martinez told JIT.
The home run hitter of the afternoon stated that he felt great from his second at-bat and noticed that the opposing pitchers were leaving the ball high. “I wanted to hit those pitches hard, that is, hit them with the butt of the bat. I did it, and the home run came out.”
For the third game of this series, next Wednesday, the Cuban management has designated left-hander Yoennis Yera as the starting pitcher.
