With five wins, Cuba finished in first place in Group A heading into the Super Round of the tournament Two other victories and another triumph for the Cuban youth national team that is playing in the I Baseball5 World Cup of the category in Ankara, Turkey. At the Yenimahalle Spor Kompleksi Field 1 in Yenimahalle, the island's team defeated its Malaysian rival 12-0 and 8-0, to win 2-0. A fifth consecutive win to finish the qualifying round undefeated. After today's victories, the Cubans have won six shutouts in 10 matches and four games have ended under the Mercy Rule. During this qualifying stage, the Cubans displayed solid defense and only allowed 12 runs. The team has scored wildly in almost every match. Cuba has outscored its rivals in the following ways: China: 21-1 (+20 run) Zambia: 19-1 (+18) Turkey: 16-4 (+12) Tunisia: 17-6 (+11) Malaysia: 20-0 (+20) Cuba's opponent, Tunisia, fourth in the world ranking - Cuba is sixth - was undoubtedly the most difficult. They blanked them in a match 8-0 while winning the second game 9-6. Cuba's closest match was against the host country, Turkey, when in the first game of the double game, the Turks led 4-3 at the end of the first inning. From that point on, Cuba's defense closed doors and denied its rival any more opportunities, resulting in a 6-4 victory. Final Standings Tomorrow is the Super Round Cuba, the world champion country of the discipline, will face France, first place in Group B, in the most anticipated match of the tournament this Friday. In addition to Cuba, the French are the only undefeated team in the tournament. Despite not scoring as many points as the Cubans, the European team has outscored its opponents 52-17 in the best-of-three series. On Friday, the game will begin at 6:00 am, Eastern US time and Cuban time. In the second presentation on Friday, Cuba will face the third place in Group B, Chinese Taipei. Chinese Taipei leads the world ranking, but lost two games to France and Mexico. The Super Round ends on Saturday, October 14, and Cuba will play Mexico, second place in Group B, at 6:00 am in the same time zone. At 4:00 am this Sunday, the third and fourth places in the Super Round will discuss the bronze medal of this first youth World Cup edition, with the first two placings in the Super Round advancing to the title discussion at 8:00 am.

The only undefeated teams in the tournament are Cuba and France During its two other matches on Wednesday in Group A of the I Baseball5 Youth World Cup, which is held in Yenimahalle in Ankara, Turkey, Cuba found greater rivalry than expected. But the result was the same, two important victories against their rivals in both best-of-three series, 2-0, that helped them claim first place in Group A, at least 24 hours before it concluded the qualifying stage of the tournament. Early in the morning, Turkey faced the Cubans, but lost 6-4 - the closest result so far for the Antilleans - and 10-0, losing via the mercy rule in four innings. The victories in the best-of-three series gave the island team a 2-0 lead and the third victory in the tournament standings. A second match of the day, against Tunisia, the most challenging opponent in the Group, ended in a 2-0 victory for Cuba after 8-0 and 9-6 wins in the first two games. Trying to remain undefeated, the Cubans will face Malaysia tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. (Cuba and Eastern U.S. time). As the first team in Group A, Cuba will begin the Super Round on Friday, where they will face the first place team in Group B, France, in an undefeated match that may repeat itself in the final. France, like Cuba, maintained 4-0 record today, winning 10-4 and 2-0 to defeat Chinese Taipei, the #1 team in the world, by 2-0.A short while later, they beat South Korea, this time 2-1, with successive victories of 5-4 and 6-0 following a 2-4 defeat in the first match. The Cubans would play another match on Friday against the third place team in Group B. All of the teams will play their final matches on Saturday, with Cuba facing the second place in Group B in order to determine the final places in the Super Round. Afterward, the two best places will compete for the gold medal on Sunday at 8:00 am (Cuba time and Eastern time in the United States), while the dispute for third place will take place at 4:00 am.

Cuban MLB Players News for the 2023 postseason. A compendium from several sources Oct 10 American League Division Series Rangers 7, Orioles 1 Adolis García walloped a three-run homer in the second inning on Tuesday night, powering the Rangers to a 7-1 victory over the Orioles in Game 3 of the ALDS — completing their sweep and sending the Rangers to the ALCS for the first time since 2011. The Rangers came out with their bats blazing against right-hander Dean Kremer. García’s 418-foot (107.5 mph EV) three-run blast with two-outs in the second inning increased the Rangers’ early advantage to 6-0. The 30-year-old slugger also singled in the ballgame, finishing the night 2-for-4. For the postseason, García is hitting .292 (7-for-24) with a pair of homers, five RBI and three runs scored through his first five games. The Rangers will now await the winner of the Astros and Twins in the ALCS. Aroldis Chapman worked the 8th inning. In the eighth inning of the game where the Rangers were crowned winners of one of the ALDS, Aroldis Chapman pitched his 38th postseason relief appearance. Chapman, however, was ineffective. With two outs - one strikeout - and Gunnar Henderson on first base for a single, Chapman threw eight consecutive balls to Anthony Santander and Ryan Mountcastle, loading the bases. Manager Bruce Bochy quickly replaced the Cuban left-hander with closer José Leclerc, who overpowered Aaron Hicks on a grounder to first. Chapman has been lucky in this postseason, not allowing a run despite facing nine batters in 1 2/3 innings and allowing five to reach base. Yennier Cano made his second postseason appearance. Cano appeared in the eighth episode, replacing DL Hall, in a game I wish had more importance. He worked with two batters, accepting a single from the first man he faced, Josh Jung. He ended the inning by retiring Leody Taveras to cap his successful 2023 season. However, Cano finished this postseason with only 1 1/3 innings pitched, 2 hits, a walk and an earned run. This was for a staggering 6.75 ERA. Rangers won the series 3-0 Astros 9, Twins 1 José Abreu blasted a pair of homers and drove in five runs, powering the Astros to a 9-1 victory over the Twins in Game 3 of the ALDS in Minnesota to take a 2-1 series lead. The Astros jumped all over Sonny Gray in the opening inning of this one, with Abreu’s mammoth 442-foot blast (109.7 mph EV) increasing their early advantage to 4-0. It was the first home run that Sonny Gray had surrendered on a sweeper all season. The 36-year-old slugger then capped off the scoring in the ballgame with a 440-foot (110.2 mph EV) two-run blast off of Bailey Ober in the ninth inning. He finished the afternoon 2-for-5 and is now hitting .250 (3-for-12) with a pair of homers and six RBI in three postseason games. The Astros will attempt to close out the Twins and punch their ticket to the ALCS on Wednesday afternoon in Minnesota. Yordan Álvarez went 3-for-5 with a solo homer, two doubles and two runs scored as the Astros walloped the Twins in Game 3 of the ALDS on Tuesday afternoon in Minnesota. The 26-year-old reached on an error on a rocket that Alex Kirilloff couldn’t handle in the top half of the first inning, then rode home on José Abreu’s gargantuan three-run homer. He then led off the third inning with a double, but wound up stranded at third base. Álvarez also doubled off of Sonny Gray in the fifth inning, but the Astros were unable to cash him in. Álvarez then clobbered a 364-foot (97.9 mph EV) solo shot off of Bailey Ober in the nineth inning that increased the Astros’ lead to 7-1. It’s the fourth straight playoff game that Álvarez has homered in. He’s having an unbelievable postseason through three games — hitting .500 (6-for-12) with four homers, six RBI and six runs scored. Astros lead the series 2-1

Cuba showed vast superiority in both victories The I Baseball5 Youth World Cup started in Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday with two victories for Cuba's representation in Group A, as part of the qualifying round that lasts until the 12th. Sadián Fernández led the mixed team to victories over China and Zambia, with the Cubans accepting only two runs during the four games. To earn its first victory of the tournament, Cuba defeated China (#26 in the world ranking) by a score of 10-0 by the mercy rule in 4 innings, followed by an 11-1 victory over the Asian country in the second match. Later in the day a 16-1 victory by the mercy rule after three innings, and a 3-0 win, in the closest of the matches, the victory against Zambia (#17) was resounding. Cuba, the 2022 world champion in the senior category, quickly moved into first place in Group A with the victories. This Group A is made up, in addition to China and Zambia, of the host country Turkey (#24), along with Malaysia (#18) and Tunisia (#4). It is likely that Tunisia, which ranks fourth in the world ranking of the discipline, will be the most difficult rival for the Antilleans. On the list, Cuba is ranked sixth. The second-ranked team in the world, France, also won its first two games, over Mexico (#12) and Ghana (#13), while Chinese Taipei still hopes to make his debut against Australia in Group B. Also included in Group B is the South Korean team (#8). As for the Cubans, their next matches are this Wednesday from 9:00 am (Cuba and Eastern time of the United States), when they will play Turkey and at 12:00 noon, when they will play probably the most difficult team of Group A, Tunisia. On the following day, Cuba will play their last qualifying match against Malaysia at 10:30 am (Cuba and Eastern time of the United States). The I Baseball5 Youth World Cup is being played at the Yenimahalle Spor Kompleksi sports complex in the Yenimahalle municipality in Ankara, Turkey. It will run until Sunday, October 15, when the tournament medals will be decided. Baseball5 games are decided in five innings and during tournaments sponsored by the World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WBSC), such as the World Cup or the Olympic Games of any category, victories are defined in a best-in-three-game series. 2023 Cuba Youth National Team (Baseball5) First baseman: Yoel David Blanco Frómeta, Amanda Díaz Jimeno and Claudia Caridad Gómez Gómez Third baseman: Adis Yudith Espinel Felizola, Alexander Ortíz Vaillant y Haila González Collazo Shortstop: Jadier René Ulloa Massip Infielder: Josué Gutiérrez Calunga Manager: Sadián Fernández Álvarez Coach: Sergio Arturo Pérez Echevarría

Cuban MLB Players News for the 2023 postseason. A compendium from several sources Oct 9 National League Division Series Braves 5, Phillies 4 Raisel Iglesias slammed the door on the Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS on Monday night, protecting a one-run advantage to earn his first save of the postseason. It wasn’t the smoothest of innings. The Braves took a one-run lead with Austin Riley’s go-ahead two-run blast in the eighth inning. A.J. Minter started the ninth inning by issuing a leadoff walk to Bryce Harper. Iglesias then came on and got J.T. Realmuto to fly out to center field. Nick Castellanos then crushed a ball to the wall in center field — where Michael Harris II made an outstanding leaping grab, then fired back into the infield where Austin Riley doubled off Harper trying to get back to first base. With his save, Iglesias became only the second Cuban pitcher in history to earn a postseason save credit. Series tied 1-1 D-backs 4, Dodgers 2 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI on Monday evening, propelling the Diamondbacks to a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium. The 29-year-old outfielder delivered a two-out, RBI single off of Bobby Miller in the opening inning — extending the Diamondbacks’ early lead to 3-0. He then slugged a 387-foot (102.9 mph EV) solo shot off of Ryan Brasier in the sixth inning to make it a 4-1 ballgame. The Diamondbacks will now head home with a commanding 2-0 advantage in the series, just one win away from advancing to the NLCS. D-backs leads the series 2-0 Other news Reds sent RHP Vladimir Gutierrez outright to Triple-A Louisville. The 28-year-old finished the 2023 season on the 60-day injured list due to pain that he experienced in his triceps — while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He has now been removed from the Reds’ 40-man roster for the time being. He’s expected to be ready to go for the start of spring training.

Preparations for the tournament will resume this Wednesday The roster of the Cuban national team for the baseball competition of the Pan American Games in Santiago de Chile, which will be held between October 18 and 28, will be announced between October 11 and 13, the Cuban Baseball Federation president, Juan Reinaldo Pérez, announced in a press conference with the Cuban media in Havana today. In the 2023 edition of the Pan American Games, Cuba will field a team that is largely the same one that just won the V Caribbean Cup in Puerto Rico this Sunday. With the confirmation in the same meeting of the non-presence in the Cuban team of the internationals Alfredo Despaigne, Ariel Martínez, Yadir Drake and Raidel Martínez, in addition to the players Yeudis Reyes, Franky Quintana and Osday Silva, who left the team behind in Puerto Rico, other players such as utility player Raúl González and pitchers Frank A. Álvarez and Erlis Casanova, have been added to the Cuban preliminary roster for the tournament, which this Wednesday will resume its preparation for the continental tournament. There will be two groups in the baseball tournament of the 2023 Pan American Games with the following rivals in each group: Group A: México (#3 in the world rankings of the WBSC) República Dominicana (#9) Panamá (#12) Chile (Ranking not available) Group B Venezuela (#6) Cuba (#8) Colombia (#15) Brasil (#23) Round Robin format will be used in each group, with the two best places advancing to the Super Round, dragging the result of their own group against the other team that advances, with whom they will not play in the Super Round.The top two places in the Super Round will compete for the Pan American title, while the other two will fight for bronze. Taking place at the Baseball and Softball Center, Parque Bicentenario de Cerrillos in Santiago, Chile, the qualifying or group stage will take place between October 18 and 24, followed by the Super Round on October 26 and 27, and a medal discussion on October 28. This baseball edition of the games will not feature powerhouses teams such as Canada - PanAm champion of the 2011 and 2015 editions - Puerto Rico, current champion of 2019 and multi-finalist and champion of 1967, and the United States, which did not advance to the tournament for a second consecutive time. Cuba has the unique opportunity to win the Pan American title after losing it in 2011, when it finished third for the first time. With 12 titles in continental baseball history, Cuba is the most successful team in the area. The Caribbean nation also possesses a second place and two third places; these last two bronze awards were achieved in 2011 in Guadalajara and 2015 in Toronto. From the Cali, Colombia edition in 1971 until the Rio de Janeiro edition in 2007, the Cubans won 10 consecutive Pan American Games baseball titles. Cubans appeared on the podium of these tournaments in all editions except in 1955, when they did not participate. In 1959 when they finished 4th, and in 2019, when Cuba achieved its lowest position in history, 6th place, in the last edition of these tournaments.

With an undefeated tournament record, the Cubans were the best team This time, it was no coincidence and the saying that the third time's the charm was fulfilled, as the Cuban national team disposed of Curacao by a score of 3-1 in a game held this Sunday at Concepción Pérez Alberto Stadium in the municipality of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico had won the bronze medal in the tournament by beating the Virgin Islands 5-3 at the Francisco Negrón stadium in Las Piedras earlier in the day. The Cuban national team won their first senior title in eight years, since a representative of the island under Victor Mesa won first place in the Rotterdam Ports Tournament in Holland in 2015. Cuba's victory also deprived Curacao of the chance to win its second title since it defeated Cuba, 4-3, in the final of the 2021 competition. Caribbean Baseball Cup Champions I - 2018 - República Dominicana II - 2019 - República Dominicana III - 2021 - Curacao IV - 2022 - Puerto Rico V - 2023 - Cuba Bahamas will host the sixth Caribbean Cup in 2024. Cuba, which played an impeccable tournament throughout, had another outstanding performance from its pitching, this time led by left-handed Yoanni Yera, limiting Curacao's offense to one run and five hits. In the first inning, Andrelton Simmons singled, followed by a hit by Ray Van Gurp that moved Simmons to third base where he scored on Darren Seferina's grounder to second. After the first inning, Yera pitched five scoreless innings and struck out 10, allowing no further runs. Cuba, which could not score against left-handed starter Arlison Rodríguez for four innings, tied the game in the fifth inning after two outs. This is when Andrys Pérez walked and reliever Nick Keur allowed consecutive singles from Yadil Mujica and Roel Santos. The match was decided in the sixth inning against Cerilio Soleana, a left-handed reliever. Erisbel Arruebarrena hit a two-run homer to center field, bringing home Roberto Baldoquín for the decisive 3-1 final score. As a result, Arruebarrena was selected as the tournament MVP minutes later. The game was closed by right-hander Renner Rivero, whose perfect 9th inning included a strikeout. For Cuba, the victory is encouraging, especially given the way it was achieved. During the tournament the pitching really shined, finishing with a 1.33 ERA in 27 innings with a shutout and two saves. This was against Puerto Rico and Curacao, the two toughest opponents. In addition, the Cubans showed experience and professionalism to overcome disadvantages in both matches. The offense was timely, as it has only happened a few times in recent years, and the defense was flawless. With the team based on the Caribbean Cup roster, we can expect the announcement of the final Cuban team for the Pan American Games baseball tournament in Santiago de Chile, which begins in 10 days. V Caribbean Baseball Cup Qualifying Round, Day 1 (Sep 2, 2023) Cuba 11, Virgin Islands 1 KO (6) Curacao 3, Puerto Rico 0 (No hitter in 5 innings due to rain) Qualifying Round, Day 2 (Sep 3, 2023) Cuba, Curazao Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands Due to rain, games were suspended Qualifying Round, Day 3 (Sep 4, 2023) Curazao, Virgin Islands Puerto Rico, Cuba Due to rain, games were suspended Qualifying Round, Day 4 (Sep 5, 2023) Curazao, Virgin Islands Puerto Rico, Cuba Due to rain, games were suspended Qualifying Round, Day 5 (Sep 6, 2023) Cuba 4, Curacao 0 Puerto Rico 8, Virgin Islands 0 Qualifying Round, Day 6 (Sep 7, 2023) Curazao 16, Virgin Islands 2 KO (6) Cuba 4, Puerto Rico 2 Medals Round, Day 7 (Sep 8, 2023) Bronze: Puerto Rico 5, Virgin Islands 3 Gold: Cuba 3, Curacao 1 Final Standings 1. Cuba 4-0 2. Curacao 2-2 3. Puerto Rico 2-2 4. Virgin Islands 0-4

Cuban MLB Players News for the 2023 postseason. A compendium from several sources Oct 4 Rangers 7, Rays 1 Adolis García went 1-for-5 and blasted his first home run of the postseason on Wednesday as the Rangers completed their sweep of the Rays in Tampa Bay. The 30-year-old slugger opened the scoring in the ballgame, crushing a 416-foot solo shot off of Zach Eflin in the fourth inning. That would be his only hit in the ballgame, but it played a critical role in the victory for the Rangers. In the Wild Card Series he went just 2-for-10 with a homer, a run scored, a RBI and three strikeouts. The Rangers will now head to Baltimore to take on the Orioles in the ALDS with Game 1 starting Saturday, Oct 7. Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena combined for two hits on Wednesday. In a 7-1 loss to the Rangers, Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena combined for 2-for-8. Arozarena struck out once while each player had a single. In a disappointing outcome for the 2020 World Series finalists, the Rays were eliminated in two games at home. During the Wild Card Series, Díaz went 1-for-8 with a strikeout, and Arozarena went 3-for-8 with a double and two strikeouts. D-backs 5, Brewers 2 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. adds first postseason RBI. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 1-for-4 and added his first postseason RBI against the Brewers in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. Gurriel struck out twice as well and was robbed of a base hit by Josh Donaldson at third base in the fifth inning. As a whole, Gurriel went 1-for-8 with a RBI and four strikeouts in the Wild Card Series. The Arizona Diamondbacks entered the National League Division Series for the first time since 2017, facing the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, Oct 7. Marlins 1, Phillies 7 Jorge Soler cracks one hit in Game 2 loss. Soler went 1-for-4 in Game 2 after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Phillies. Despite his efforts, he struck out twice in a lineup so reliant on him. With five strikeouts and no homer or RBI, he finished 1-for-8 in the Wild Card Series. In the NL Division Series, the Phillies will play the Braves in a rematch of the 2022 NLDS, which the Phillies won. Game 1 is on Saturday, Oct 7. Blue Jays 0, Twins 2 In the other Wild Card Series the Twins are moving on in the postseason for the first time since 2002. Game 2 ended in a 2-0 victory for the Twins as they completed a two-game sweep of the Blue Jays. The win sets up a Division Series matchup against the AL West champion Astros at Minute Maid Park starting Saturday.

Cuban MLB Players News for the 2023 postseason. A compendium from several sources Oct 3 Rangers 4, Rays 0 Game 1 was Randy Arozarena's first game in front of his mother in MLB. He added two hits. The first pitch was thrown by Sandra González - Randy's mom - in Tampa Bay ahead of Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series. Having received her visa just last week, González was getting to see her son play in the majors for the first time. A former softball player for Team México, González threw a perfect strike without a windup. A the game, Arozarena went 2-for-4 with a double and a strikeout. Yandy Díaz was the Ray's leadoff in wild-card opener. Díaz started at first base and batted leadoff in Tuesday's AL Wild Card Series opener against the Rangers. The American League batting champ was just 3-for-16 in his career versus Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery. The game saw him go 0-for-3 with a strikeout against Montgomery and 0-for-1 against reliever Aroldis Chapman. Also, he made one of Ray's four errors, on a grounder by Corey Seager in the first inning. Aroldis Chapman worked the eighth inning. Chapman struck one over a scoreless inning in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Rays. It was already a 4-0 game in the eighth inning when manager Bruce Bochy had Chapman enter the game. This time, the Cuban Missile did not disappoint. Despite facing the top of the Ray's order, he retired them all, including a strikeout against Randy Arozarena. To end the inning, Chapman needed only 14 pitches - 12 strikes - and threw 4 pitches above 100 mph. Adolis García with one hit in wild-card opener. García started in right field and went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's 4-0 win against the Rays. García left a runner in scoring position on a Texas team that went 2-for-13 with RISP. Marlins 1, Phillies 4 Jorge Soler went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the loss to the Phillies on Tuesday. In the same game Yulieski Gurriel was 0-for-1. It was Soler’s first postseason game since he hit a three-run homer in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series for the Braves. He was the World Series MVP that year. The Marlins are probably going to need him to bust out again if they’re going to score enough runs to go anywhere this October. At the same game, Yulieski Gurriel came on as a pinch hitter and struck out against reliever José Alvarado in the seventh inning. D-backs 6, Brewers 3 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went hitless in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. The 2023 postseason started off badly for Gurriel. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a 6-3 victory against the Brewers. Gurriel had a slugging percentage of .263 in his past 10 games, including zero homers, and in his last appearance during the regular season, he racked up two hits - going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI - against the Astros.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Oct 1 Yandy Díaz won the AL batting title from bench. A .330 average allowed Yandy Díaz to win the American League batting title over the Texas Rangers' Corey Seager by sitting out the final game of the regular season. It was the first AL Batting Title in Rays history. As of Sunday's game, Díaz was just a few points behind Seager, with Seager at .3298 and Díaz at .3295. Having Tampa already seeded as the AL's top wild-card team, allowing Díaz to watch the Toronto Blue Jays-Tampa Sunday's game from the bench. Seager, however, was 0-for-4 to drop his batting average to .327 while the Rangers were still battling for the AL West title. Díaz has been a little banged up lately and has been resting for the last games of the season, but still managed to hit .345 with five home runs in the month of September. Díaz became the second Cuban from the Cuban National Series to win a batting title - Yulieski Gurriel was the first in 2021 -, and only the third Cuban in MLB history to do so, Tony Oliva was the first. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. logged two hits Sunday. Gurriel Jr. went 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI in Sunday's 8-1 loss to the Astros. Gurriel went just 4-for-16 over four games since shaking off a minor shoulder issue. On Saturday he stole his fifth bag of the season, one shy of his career high from 2019. The outfielder was a fairly steady hitter this year with a .261/.309/.463 slash line, 24 home runs, 82 RBI, 65 runs scored, 35 doubles and two triples over a career-high 145 contests. Dairon Blanco homers, steals two in win. Dairon Blanco went 3-for-3 with a home run, one RBI, two runs scored and two steals in Sunday's 5-2 victory over the Yankees. Blanco contributed across the board in his return to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the two games prior. Sunday's game marked his sixth multi-steal effort of the campaign and he concluded the season with 24 stolen bases in 68 games. In the year the rookie outfielder slashed .258/.324/.452 with three home runs, 19 runs and 18 RBI in a part-time role. Adolis García with one hit in painful loss to Mariners. Adolis García batted 1-for-4 in the disappointing 1-0 loss to the Mariners on Sunday. As a result of the loss, the Rangers lost the AL West Division title. With his last performance of the 2023 regular season, García ended the year with 39 home runs and 107 RBI, a year where he was able to showcase his power and run-producing ability. However, his overall batting average remained at .245, no far from previous seasons, indicating inconsistency at the plate. While García has shown flashes of brilliance throughout the season, his high strikeout rate of 31.1% and low walk rate of 6.7% are areas of concern. Randy Arozarena was out of Sunday's lineup. Arozarena was not in Sunday's lineup against the Blue Jays. The Rays gave Arozarena a couple days to rest up in advance of the postseason. Arozarena, in other excellent season, ended the year with a .254/.364/.425 slash line and personal records of 23 homers, 95 runs and 80 walks. He also collected 140 hits, 19 doubles, 3 triples and 83 RBI in 151 games. José Abreu homered in last day of the season. Abreu went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer Sunday against the D-backs. Abreu delivered his 18th home run of the season and second in his last nine games in the seventh inning to give the Astros a solid 8-1 lead. He performed very well overall since returning from a back injury Aug. 23, maintaining a .250 average with eight home runs, 33 RBI and 19 runs scored across 112 at-bats. Abreu still had a bad season showing a slash line of .237/.296/.383 with 18 homers and 90 RBI across 141 games, but he managed to top his homer total from the 2022 season. Yoan Moncada was sitting Sunday. Moncada was also not in Sunday's lineup against the Padres. Moncada played in only 92 games this year due mostly to a major back injury, but he finished extremely strong, slashing .316/.358/.553 with eight home runs over his final 42 games. In his 8th MLB season Moncada had a slash line of .260/.305/.425 with 11 homers and 40 RBI in 357 PA. Andy Ibánez one single on Sunday. Ibáñez went 1-for-4 with a RBI in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Guardians. Ibáñez continued his good recent stretch, batting .370 over his last 11 games with nine RBI. It was a solid season overall for the utility player, who batted .264 with a .745 OPS. Ibáñez also recorded career-highs in almost every offensive department playing a personal best of 114 games and including 94 hits, 11 home runs and 40 RBI. The 30-year-old should have a similar role in 2024. Yordan Álvarez with one single in last game of the season. Álvarez went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Sunday's 8-1 win over the D-backs. The slugger was replaced by PH Jon Singleton late in the game. The best Cuban hitter in the Majors right now had another phenomenal season, collecting a .293/.407/.583 slash line with 31 homers, 97 RBI, 77 runs scored, 24 doubles and a triple through 114 contests. He will be leading the Astros in the 2023 postseason. Yulieski Gurriel went hitless on Sunday. In the last game of the regular season Yulieski Gurriel was back in the Marlins' lineup and went 0-for-3 in a 3-0 loss to the Pirates on Sunday. Since the Marlins acquired Bell on Aug. 1, Gurriel made just 15 starts. He had a secondary role in the Marlins this year but given his experience and great offensive skills, he could have made many more starts. In 2023, the 39-year-old batted .247/.306/.361, compiling a slash line that was just slightly better than in 2022. However, his playing time resulted in a significant deficit in home runs (4) and RBIs (28) for the year. Raisel Iglesias earned save no. 33 on Saturday. Raisel Iglesias didn't pitch in the last day of the 2023 regular season but picked up the save Saturday against the Nationals, earning his save no. 33 of the year. He allowed one hit while striking out one over a scoreless inning. Iglesias converted on his third save of the last four days, holding the Nationals scoreless in the ninth while fanning a batter. After blowing a pair of saves early in September, Iglesias logged a save in each of his last four chances. During the regular season, Iglesias ranked eighth in saves with a 2.75 ERA across 58 appearances (55.2 innings) in a fructiferous 2023 season.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Sep 28 Aroldis Chapman imploded in the ninth inning on Thursday night, giving up a pair of runs on two hits and a walk without recording a single out against the Mariners. Chapman (6-5) blew a save and was tagged with Thursday's loss to Seattle. He allowed two runs on two hits and a walk without retiring a batter. Chapman, who worked the eighth inning of a close game Wednesday, was given the closing opportunity Thursday but failed to secure a win that would have clinched Texas' first postseason berth since 2016. The 35-year-old left-hander was called upon with the Rangers clinging to a one-run lead heading to the home half of the ninth inning. He allowed a leadoff single to Cal Raleigh and then a single to Dylan Moore to put the tying and winning runs on base. Chapman then uncorked a wild pitch to move the runners up before walking Ty France to load the bases. That’s then Chapman was pulled from the game, and Jonathan Hernández nearly bailed him out before allowing a walk-off two-run double to J.P. Crawford to end the game. Over the last 14 outings going back to Aug. 21, Chapman is 1-3 with two blown saves, a 6.23 ERA and 12 walks allowed over 13 innings. Chapman now sports a 3.09 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and a 103/36 K/BB ratio over 58 1/3 innings on the season. Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth for his 32nd save Thursday against the Cubs. Iglesias struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Cubs. Because the Braves have won so many games by large margins and because he missed some time at the start of the year, Iglesias won’t overtake his career high of 34 saves this year. Iglesias has earned three saves over his last five outings while allowing one run in five innings in that span. He's settled down again after a shaky early half of September. The closer is up to 32 saves in 36 chances while maintaining a 2.80 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 67:15 K:BB through 54.2 innings this season. Yoán Moncada mashes solo homer. Moncada went 1-for-2 with a solo homer and two runs scored in Thursday's 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks. Moncada drew a leadoff walk in his first at-bat before coming around to score on an Andrew Vaughn home run, putting the White Sox up 2-0. The third baseman would then add an insurance run with a leadoff shot to open the bottom of the fourth, giving him five long balls this month to go along with 11 RBI. He's now hit safely in six of his last eight games, though he's also struck out at least one time in 12 straight. Adolis García keeps mashing Thursday. García went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Mariners. The Rangers had just three hits in the game, with García's 39th homer of the year being one of them. The outfielder is on quite the tear lately with four homers over his last five games. He's at a .245/.327/.513 slash line with 107 RBI, 107 runs scored, nine stolen bases and 29 doubles through 145 contests this season. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was back in the Diamondbacks’ lineup on Thursday against the White Sox. Gurriel Jr. was scratched from the Diamondbacks’ lineup for Wednesday’s game against the White Sox with left shoulder discomfort, but it was only a one day issue. The 30-year-old started in left field on Thursday and went 1-for-4. He is slashing .262/.310/.466 with 24 homers and 81 RBI this year.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2023 season. A compendium from several sources Sep 27 Yordan Álvarez went 1-for-3 with a solo homer, two runs scored, and two walks on Wednesday in an 8-3 win against the Mariners. Álvarez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Mariners. Álvarez led off the fourth inning with a solo homer off Bryce Miller to put the Astros on the board and to tie the game at 1-1. The homer was his third in the last four games and his 31st of the year. He was walked in the fifth and seventh innings, scoring a run on a base hit by José Abreu. The 26-year-old slugger is hitting .293/.409/.591 with 31 homers and 97 RBI across 484 plate appearances. Adolis García went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI on Wednesday to lead the Rangers to a 5-0 win over the Angels. García went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an RBI double in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Angels. García has four homers, three doubles and six RBI over nine games since he returned from a knee injury. He provided the Rangers' early offense Wednesday, opening the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning before hitting a solo shot two frames later. The outfielder is up to 38 long balls, 106 RBI, 106 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 29 doubles and a .245/.326/.508 slash line through 144 contests overall. Johan Oviedo was roughed up for six runs in five innings by the Phillies in a loss Wednesday. Oviedo had the benefit of facing the Phillies’ “B” lineup after they clinched Tuesday, yet he did nothing with it. Fortunately, the offense picked him up, so he avoided taking a 15th loss, which would have tied for the NL lead. Oviedo allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings in a 7-6 loss to the Phillies. He struck out six. He got off to a good start Wednesday, delivering three shutout innings before the Phillies tagged him for six runs across the fourth and fifth frames. Oviedo had allowed just one run over 11 innings in his previous two starts despite walking 10 in that span. The 25-year-old right-hander flashed some potential this season, though control issues have led to inconsistent results. Oviedo will finish the year 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 158:83 K:BB across 32 starts covering 177.2 innings. Randy Arozarena returned to the Rays’ lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the Red Sox. Arozarena was back in the lineup Wednesday at Boston. Arozarena started in left field and batted third versus the Red Sox and right-hander Brayan Bello after missing three straight games because of right quad tightness. In the game he went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a strikeout. The 28-year-old has tallied 23 homers, 83 RBI, 22 steals and 93 runs scored across 149 games this season for Tampa Bay. Yandy Díaz was out again with tight hamstring. Díaz remained out of the lineup Wednesday at Boston. Díaz made an early exit from Sunday's series finale against the Blue Jays due to right hamstring tightness and is now on the bench for a second straight game. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was scratched from the Diamondbacks’ lineup for Wednesday’s game against the White Sox with left shoulder discomfort. Gurriel was a late scratch from Wednesday's lineup against the White Sox. The reasoning for Gurriel's removal from the batting order wasn't clear, but he was dealing with some left shoulder tightness. He went 3-for-5 with three singles and a run scored in Tuesday's series opener. Yoán Moncada was on bench Wednesday. Moncada was out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks. Moncada received his second day off in a three-game stretch. He went 1-for-4 in his last start Tuesday. Prior to that, he had a five-game stretch in which he had a .786 OPS. Moncada, though, is hitting .284/.321/.487 with four homers this month. Aroldis Chapman had a clean eighth inning. Chapman struck one over a scoreless inning in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Angels getting credited with his 14 hold of the year. It was a 2-0 game in the eighth inning when manager Bruce Bochy had Chapman enter the game. Bochy had José Leclerc in mind for the save, which never materialized after the Rangers scored three times in the top of the ninth. Chapman is having a shaky September showing a 1-1 record with five runs allowed - four earned - in 8 innings with 5 walks and 12 strikeouts. He appears to be sharing the closer duty with Leclerc.