Sports Radio Service is the only Bay Area outlet covering the 2018 Caribbean Series

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MEXICO: 4 | 11 | 1

CUBA: 5 | 8 | 0

By Lewis Rubman

Zapopan, Jal., February 4

The end of my dispatch about Game 3 of the Caribbean Series contained a glaring error. The next game scheduled was not between Puerto Rico and Mexico, but between Cuba and Mexico. There was also a lot to say about the end of that game.

It was a see-saw of a match between the repeat champions of Cuba’s National Series, the Granma Sorrels (Alazanes de Granma), and the Mexican Pacific League champs, the Culiacan Tomato Growers (Tomateros de Culiacan).

Granma was playing without its star right fielder, Alfredo Despaigne, who left yesterday’s game against the Anzoategui Caribes after he suffered a calf injury running out a double in the first inning. They still managed to put up quite a show, posting a come from behind victory and surviving a ninth inning challenge from the Tomateros.

Culiacan, which was playing as the visiting team, took an early lead when Justin Greene singled to center to start the game. He stole second and scored on Rico Noel’s single to center off Cuba’s left handed starting pitcher Yoannis Yiera.

Mexico and its lefty starter, Hector Daniel Rodriguez, held on to that lead until the bottom of the third inning, when third baseman Raul Gonzalez singled to center, followied by Roel Santos’s bunt single and Yordan Manduley’s sacrifice bunt.

This use of little ball paid off for the Cubans because Yurisbel Gracial tied the score with a sacrifice line drive to Justin Greene in left. Mexico’s manager, Benjamin Gil, yanked Rodriguez and replaced him with Jesus Castillo, the first of the five relievers Gil would use before the night was over. Castillo got out of the inning, but not before Frederich Cepeda’s double had driven in Santos to give the Alanzanes a 2-1 lead.

That advantage was short-lived. The Tomateros drove Yiera from the mound in the top of the fourth with singles by Walter Ibarra and Sebastian Valle. Right handed reliever Alain Sanchez allowed a bunt single to Noel and a single to left by Sebastian Elizalde that scored Valle.

With Noel on third, Joey Meneses grounded to second baseman Carlos Benitez, whose toss to shortstop Manduley to force Elizalde at second. But Meneses beat Manduley’s throw to first, allowing Noel to score a run to put Mexico up by two runs, 4-2.

Gil appealed the out call at second, but it was upheld after a lengthy review. Sanchez got DH Japhet Amador to end the inning with a ground ball to third. Sanchez would go on to pitch into ninth frame without allowing another Culiacan run.

With one out in the Granma half of the seventh, Gonzalez smashed a home run to left center off an offering of Aldo Montes, who had relieved Castillo to start the top of the fifth. A walk to Santos, the next batter, was enough to make Gil to bring in Nick Struck to replace Montes. The one-time Cubs and Dodgers farm hand only stayed around long enough to hit Mandulay with a pitch and walk Gracial. Struck’s replacement, Daniel Moskos, gave up a sac fly to Cepeda, which scored Santos and tied the score at four apiece.

Yoenis Cespedes’s half brother Yoalkis pinch ran for Benitez, who had singled with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Cespedes broke for second with a two and one count on Juan Carlos Torrente, pinch hitting for Morejon. Cepeda’s move pulled Ibarra, now playing shortstop, out of position, allowing a hole for Torrente’s low line drive to go into left centerfield. Cepeda advanced to third on the hit and scored on Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly to right, giving Cuba a one-run lead.

Culiacan came close to sending the game into extra innings. Oakland native Chris Roberson pinch hit for Valle with a screaming double down the left field line to open the top of the ninth. Granma’s manager Carlos Marti replaced Sanchez with Raidel Martinez, who was faced with the task of getting through the top of Mexico’s lineup without allowing the speedy Roberson to score from second base. Martinez succeeded by striking out Greene and getting pinch hitter Jesse Castillo and Elizalde to ground out.

Cuba now is 2-2, while Mexico is 0-2 half way through the elimination round of the Series.

The Dominican Republic goes against Puerto Rico in this afternoon’s game, followed by Venezuela against Mexico. Game times are 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Central Time, noon and and 6:00 pm PT.