Cuban Defectors Playing Series in Long Beach

Cuban defectors Mayque Quintero and Evel Bastida, a right-handed pitcher and an infielder, are in Long Beach this weekend with the Sonoma County Crushers to play a three-game series against the Long Beach Breakers at Blair Field.

Quintero and Bastida were signed last week by Sonoma, one of six teams in the Western Baseball League. They made their debuts Thursday night in an 8-2 victory over the Chico Heat.

Quintero, 22, and Bastida, 23, were teammates on the Havana Industriales, Cuba’s top team.