For the 3rd and final game of this Thunder Series in Chinese Taipei, the Cuban national team wrapped up their visit on a high note with a 16-hit outburst for the 14-7 victory.

Normally hefty Cuban bats have often underperformed in recent international events, causing a good deal of frustration and some widespread carping among loyal Antillean fans back home in the baseball-mad Caribbean nation. The first two games of the current Chinese-Taipei-Cuba exhibition matches seemed to be no exception, with the Cuban League all-stars being held to a mere pair of runs in the first two outings and largely stymied by a talented corps of polished CPBL professional pitchers.

Team Cuba’s much-anticipated November tour of Chinese Taipei and Japan opened this past weekend in Taichung and Taoyuan with a pair of classic pitching duels that provided few on-field fireworks but nonetheless perfectly mirrored the pattern of so many nip-and-tuck Chinese-Taipei-Cuba battles during recent international seasons. Victor Mesa’s charges dropped the series opener Saturday afternoon when surprise starter Yadier Pedroso surrendered a pair of second-inning runs that proved the difference in a 2-1 Taiwan victory.

Japan’s Yomiuri Giants are crowned the club champions of Asia, when they defeated the Lamigo Monkeys 6-3 in the final of Asia Series this past weekend in Busan, Korea.

Cuba even up the Thunder Series at one win each, with a tight 1-0 triumph over the CPBL (Chinese Professional Baseball League) Selects team at the Taoyuan International Stadium on Sunday.

For the opening game of the Thunder Series, Chinese Taipei got good pitching and defense to edge the Cuba national team 2-1 at the Taichung Intercontinental Stadium on Saturday.

Yomiuri Giants, the Japanese champions, shut out the Lotte Giants of South Korea 4-0 on Saturday and advanced to the final of the 2012 Asia Series.

The 15U Asian Baseball Championship is underway in Cuttack, India. The tournament, which will be played through Saturday, November 10, features teams from Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, india and Thailand.

Cuba has arrived in Taichung and Taoyuan for the Thunder Series – a series of games against the Chinese Taipei national team and a selection of players from the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

Six teams from Japan, Korea, China, Chinese Taipei and Australia will determine the best club in Asia in the annual Asia Series 2012 at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, Korea from Thursday, November 8 to Sunday, November 11.