The Caribbean Series begins with a J. C. Romero sighting!

MEXICO 2, CUBA 1 (MEXICO HOME TEAM)

Cuba:  Frederich Cepeda was 1-for-3 with an RBI.  Freddy Alvarez pitched six innings, giving up one run on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

Mexico:  Issmael Salas was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run.  Rico Noel (San Diego) was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.  Anthony Vasquez pitched five innings, allowing one run on five hits and no walks with one strikeout.

The game:  Cepeda delivered a two-out single in the fourth to put Cuba up 1-0.  Mexico scored without a hit in the sixth to tie it, and pinch-hitter Walter Ibarra (Arizona) singled in Salas, who had walked, in the seventh to put Mexico in front.  The last seven Cuba batters were retired.

VENEZUELA 5, PUERTO RICO 2 (PUERTO RICO HOME TEAM)

Venezuela:  Niuman Romero (Oakland) was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk, driving in two.  Alexi Amarista (San Diego) was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.  Daryl Thompson pitched six innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

Puerto Rico:  Reymond Fuentes (Kansas City) was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run.  Neftali Soto (Cincinnati) was 2-for-4 with a run.  J. C. Romero pitched 1.2 perfect innings.

The game:  Ehire Adrianza (San Francisco) singled in one and Amarista tripled in two, all in the third inning, to put Venezuela up 3-0.  Puerto Rico scored one in the bottom of the third, but Romero's two-run double made it 5-1 in the fourth.  Puerto Rico got a run in the ninth but did not threaten to get back into the game.

STANDINGS

Mexico, 1-0
Venezuela, 1-0
Dominican Republic, 0-0
Cuba, 0-1
Puerto Rico, 0-1

TODAY'S GAMES

Cuba at Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico at Mexico

All games are played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.