HAVANA.- Cuban Lazaro Blanco and American Will Oliver were announced as starting pitchers of the match between the Las Tunas Leñadores and the Mexican team of the Jalisco Charros today in the debut of de Cuban squad in the second day of the Caribbean Baseball Series based in Panama.

This will be Oliver´s debut in these tournaments while Blanco attends for the third time a contest like this where he already amounts two wins, thus becoming the only Cuban pitcher with this achievement since the reincorporation of Cuba to the Caribbean Series in 2014.

Blanco, 32, got his first victory in the edition of 2017 over the Licey Tigres, from the DR, while the second one was last year over the Venezuelan side of the Anzoategui Caribes; both successes were reached playing for the Cuban champion of the Granma Alazanes.

Oliver, who is also 32, has played in the MLB minor leagues for the franchises of the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees.

The Cuban manager Pablo Civil still has doubts about which player to use in second base, as he has to choose between Carlos Benitez and Jorge Aloma; and as DH where he must opt for switch-hitter Frederich Cepeda or Danel Castro.

But he did announce Alfredo Despaigne (lf), Yunieski Larduet (cf) and Jorge Yhonson (rf) in the outfield, as well as infielders Yurisbel Graciasl (3b), Alexander Ayala (ss) and Yordanis Samon (1b), while captain Yosvani Alarcon will be the catcher.

Yesterday, on the first matchday of the tournament, the Jalisco Charros lost 1-5 to the Lara Cardenales, from Venezuela, third team of Group A; while in Pool B, the Dominican side of the Estrellas Orientales beat 3-1 the Puerto Rican squad of the Santurce Cangrejeros.