Cuba Maintains Winning Streak in World Baseball Challenge

Toronto, Canada, Jul 13. -Cuba defeated Canada 9-4 on Wednesday, continuing its winning streak as the only undefeated team in the World Baseball Challenge, underway in Prince George.

The Cubans were losing 1-3 until the seventh inning, when they scored eight runs and won the game, in which only outfielders Yoelvis Leyva and Frederich Cepeda did not contribute to that victory.

Leyva had 2 AB and no hits, and Cepeda 0-4 with 1 RBI, in a game where right-fielder Alfredo Despaigne made 2 HR, both in the same inning.

Yulieski Gourriel, Rudy Reyes and Ariel Pestano also made home runs, supporting four-handed pitching work planned by coach Eduardo Martin.

Martin appointed veteran right-hander Jonder Martinez as his starting pitcher, but the Olympic champion could not get past the fourth inning, when he left the game 1-3.

The Cuban bullpen, however, managed to stop the Canadian offensive, giving the Cuban offensive an opportunity to counterattack.

On the third day of competition, Chinese Tapei defeated the Japanese Toshiba ball club (8-2), while Bahamas defeated the Chinese Tigers of Beijing (6-5), which was in last place in this tournament.

The Cuba team has a break on Wednesday, and will face Bahamas on Thursday to complete the first round.

Today�s Results:

123 456 789 C H E.

Cuba

100 000 800 9 10 0.

Canada

001 200 010 4 10 1.

W: Alberto Soto.

L: S. Shaefer.

HR: Alfredo Despaigne 2 (2), Yulieski Gourriel (2), Rudy Reyes (1), Ariel Pestano (2), J.Johnson (2), K.Atkinson (1). (Prensa Latina)