VENEZUELA – The defending World Champion Cuban
National Team claimed the First ALBA League held recently in Venezuela.
The World Cup tune-up tournament, originally slated to begin on October 2 with seven teams, turned into a three-team “Friendship Series” with host Venezuela, Cuba, and Colombia. The Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Panama, and Puerto Rico decided not to attend due to the tournament organizational shortcomings.
Venezuela opened the tournament with a 6-1 win over Colombia who were no-hit by Cuba the following day in a 9-0 setback. Starter Elier Sanchez threw the first three frames while Jonder Martinez (two innings) and lefty Norberto Gonzalez (one innings) completed the shutout. Bad weather and the absence of stadium lights saved the Colombians from further embarrassment.
Ariel Pestano led the Cuban offense with a pair of hits – including a two-bagger – and three RBI’s while teammate Yoandry Urgelles chipped in a double and banged in three runs.
Cuba continued its dominating march towards the upcoming Baseball World Cup with a 10-3 victory over Venezuela on the third day of the tournament at Jose Casanova Stadium in Caracas. The Cubans used a fifth-inning homer by Pestano and a five-run outburst in the eight to remain unbeaten and overshadow a lackluster outing by veteran southpaw Adiel Palma. Cuba’s bullpen consisting of Yunieski Maya, Arley Sanchez, Pedro Laza, and Jose Garcia rescued the world champions who trailed 3-2 after three innings.
The hosts shocked the powerful Cubans 7-2 on October 13 as Manuel Ramirez opened the scoring with a solo blast in the second and added a two-run single in the fourth. Vladimir Banos, a rookie righthander, started the game for Cuba but the bullpen hero of the August Port Tournament in the Netherlands, Yulieski Gonzalez, suffered the loss. Two Habana Province pitchers – Martinez and Garcia – stifled Venezuela in the late innings and Urgelles added a two-run homer.
A day later the surprising Venezuelans handed the Cubans a 5-1 setback thanks to a Sal Torres home run off closer Pedro Lazo and righthander Marcos Castillo who held the Big Red Machine lineup to only four hits. Heading into the tournament championship game Venezuela – which also handed Team USA their only loss at last year’s IBAF Americas Region Pre-Olympic Tournament - was sporting a 4-1 mark while Cuba had a 3-2 record.
But Cuba - the measuring stick for international baseball tourneys – coasted past Venezuela 9-1 to capture the tournament championship. A stingy pitching corps led by Sanchez (three innings) and Martinez shut down the hosts who could only manage a Denis Torres solo homer off Lazo to ruin the shutout.
New national team second baseman Hector Olivera paced the Cuban offense with a solo blast and first baseman Alex Mayeta connected for a grand slam in the sixth. The outcome could have been even worse if not for several questionable calls that robbed Cuba of several runs. Urgelles (six stolen bases and a homer) and Venezuela’s Ramirez (two homers) were named the top players of the tournament.
The Cuban National Team, which has won an unbelieveable 90 pecent of it’s international competitions, has reached the finals in 48 straight major tournament they have competed in since 1959 including the Olympics, World Baseball Classis, World Cup, Pan American Games, and the Intercontinental Cup.
