Yadir Drake

Taipei, March 2 (JIT) - Right-hander Elián Leyva and four relievers extended the good work of the pitching, Yadir Drake confirmed himself as an offensive pillar and Cuba defeated the Taiwan Cooperative Bank team 6x0 in a preparatory game for the V World Baseball Classic.  

It was the Cubans' farewell to Taipei, where they had previously won once and lost twice, in the tour that began in Japan with two wins and three losses.

Now in the Asian tour, team Cuba has 4 wins and 5 losses.

Leyva had a solid opening of 3.2 innings, in which he allowed four hits, struck out five times, gave one ticket and reached a maximum speed of 90 miles, before giving way to the stellar left-hander Liván Moinelo, who took the speedometer up to 93 miles and was again impeccable, striking out two in 1.1 innings.

Also working for Cuba were righties Yeudis Reyes and Frank Abel Álvarez, and lefty Naykel Cruz.

The offense included a pair of doubles by Yadir Drake, the first in the fifth inning, when Dayán García drove him in with a single for Cuba's first.

Then the island team scored two more in the seventh thanks to hits by Drake and Dayán and a tubey by Yurisbel Gracial.

The fiery Cuban starter made his presence felt again in the eighth with another double, which brought in another two runs, shortly after Ariel Martinez pushed one in as a pinch runner.

Ariel said he felt comfortable hitting after recovering from a leg discomfort that kept him out of the lineup for several days.

After the outcome, the Cuban team bid farewell to pitchers Marlon Vega, Franklin Quintana and Javier Mirabal, who accompanied them to Taipei as members of the reserve team and are now returning home.

Armando Johnson's team will travel this Friday to Taichung, where they will receive the established players Luis Robert, Roennis Elías, Ronald Bolaños, Andy Ibáñez, Yoan Moncada, Miguel Romero, Yoenis Céspedes and Lorenzo Quintana, in order to get back in shape.

With them already in the squad, they will have ahead the commitments against Rakuten Monkeys (March 5), and CTBC Brothers (March 6), both in Taichung, where Cuba will debut on March 8 in the Classic against the Netherlands.

TOTALS:

Cuba: 6-12-0

Bank: 0-6-1

Wins: Liván Moinelo

Lost: S. F. Wu

CUBA'S OFFENSE

Roel Santos (rf): 5-1

Yoelkis Guibert (cf): 4-0

Erisbel Arruebarrena (ss): 3-1

Alfredo Despaigne (bd): 3-0

Yadir Drake (1b): 4-3, 2 2B, 2 IC

Dayán García (3b): 4-2, 1 CI

Yurisbel Gracial (lf): 4-2, 1 2b, 2 CI

Andrys Pérez (c): 3-0

Yadil Mujica (2b): 4-1

Luis Vicente Mateo (for Arruebarruena): 1-1

Ariel Martínez (for Despaigne): 1-1, 1 CI

CUBA'S PITCHING

Elián Leyva: 3.2 innings, 4H, 5K, 1BB

Liván Moinelo: 1.1 innings, 2K

Yeudis Reyes: 2.0 innings, 1H, 2K, 1 BB

Frank Abel Alvarez: 1.0 inning 1H, 2BB

Naykel Cruz: 1.0 inning, 1 K, 1 BB