Caribbean Baseball SeriesCuba and the host Dominican Republic will face each other today in the Santo Domingo 2016 Caribbean Baseball Series, in this city, in match that will define the last ticket to the semifinals.

Cubans and Dominicans share the last spot in the standings with similar balance of three losses and no win after losing on Thursday in their respective matches against Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

The tournament has become fateful for those coached by Roger Machado, who incredibly still have a chance to be included among the top four of this baseball classic in its 58th edition, if beating the local side of the Escogido Leones.

Due to their poor performance in the fundamental aspects of the game, Machado's disciples have gone through rough paths in this edition of the Caribbean Series, only to find themselves again and again with the sad fate of defeat.

According to Machado, it is very difficult to aspire winning if starting pitchers are removed just in the second inning, batters fail at key times with runners on bases, and especially if suffering from an erratic defensive performance.

After losing 3-1 to Venezuela’s Aragua Tigres, Roger Machado acknowledged that the Cuban team has been very far from expectations despite bei ng reinforced with some of the best athletes of the national side.

The team has been terribly bad in all stats and the changes in the lineup looking for more offensive haven’t either influenced in a positive response from players, despite they arrived at the tournament in an enviable competitive state, Machado said.

He insisted that it has been very difficult for Cuban batters getting adapted to the quality of opponent pitchers, who all have a far higher level than the vast majority of pitchers enrolled in the Cuban National Series.

Cuba exhibits the most anemic offensive of the Caribbean Series with team batting average of .202 and has just scored five runs, stats that do not allow any possibility of success when facing teams made up by the best players of Caribbean Winter Leagues.

Machado announced as a starter for today’s crucial match to the right-hander Vladimir Garcia, who in the first presentation of the Cuban team could only remain on the mound for one and a third inning allowing three earned runs.

Despite the bitter precedent, including losses to Mexico (9-3) and Puerto Rico (12-1) respectively, the Ciego de Avila Tigres will try to erase the past and will come out for victory today against the Dominicans Escogido Leones.

In today’s other match, the Mexican side of the Mazatlan Venados (3-0) will defend its unbeaten record when facing the Puerto Rican team of the Santurce Cangrejeros (2-1), in a game that will define the top of the standings.