Canada passes the initial phase of the World Classic for the first time
Canada defeats Cuba in the last game of the group stage and advances to this round of the World Baseball Classic for the first time
Canada advanced from the opening round of the World Baseball Classic for the first time, beating Cuba 7-2 on Wednesday in a deciding game in San Juan, Puerto Rico, thanks to Abraham Toro’s home run and Otto Lopez’s two-run single.
Brothers Bo Naylor and Josh Naylor drove in runs, Owen Caissie drove in two runs and reliever James Paxton struck out six in 2 2/3 scoreless innings for Canada (3-1), which eliminated the Cubans (2-2) and won Group A against Puerto Rico (3-1). Cuba was eliminated in the first round for the first time.
Canada and Puerto Rico will play in the quarterfinals in Houston this weekend.
Cuba finished with three errors, and left fielder Ariel Martínez allowed Toro’s catchable fly ball to start the seventh to become a double. The Canadians opened the game with a three-run sixth inning that included an errant fly ball, a foul fly ball that also fell, a wild pitch and catcher interference on Andrys Pérez, whose passed ball had led to Canada’s first run.
Cuba escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning when Matt Davidson hit an inning-ending fly ball off loser Liván Moinelo, but Canada went ahead in the third on a sacrifice fly by Caissie. Toro hit a home run in the fifth off a Yariel Rodríguez splitter, a 420-foot shot to right field.
Cuba scored in the bottom of the inning on Yoelkis Guibert’s RBI groundout off winner Cal Quantrill, who allowed one unearned run and two hits in five innings.
Canada opened a 3-1 lead in the sixth on an RBI double by Bo Naylor.
Martinez drove in a run in the bottom of the inning with his third hit, and Josh Naylor had an RBI single in the seventh on a soft fly ball to left field that slipped off the glove of Martinez, who attempted a sliding catch.
Cuba went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Adam Macko escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth when Yiddi Cappe struck out on a curveball and James Paxton struck out Moncada in the seventh, leaving runners on the corners.
