Field Level Media
20 Mar 2023, 13:19 GMT+10
MIAMI -- Trea Turner and Paul Goldschmidt combined to drive in eight runs, propelling the United States to a 14-2 win over Cuba in the World Baseball Classic semifinals on Sunday night.
Turner went 3-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs, while Goldschmidt went 2-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs.
USA advanced to compete for the title on Tuesday night, playing the winner of Monday's matchup between Mexico and Japan.
Team USA third baseman Nolan Arenado was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning, but X-rays on his right hand were negative.
American starter Adam Wainwright allowed just one run in four innings. He survived a poor start in which he allowed Cuba's first four batters to reach base.
Cuban starter Roenis Elias took the loss, allowing three runs in two innings.
The game marked the end of a wild WBC ride for Cuba, which traveled more than 9,000 miles to Taiwan, lost its first two contests, won its next two and prevailed in a five-way tiebreaker. From there, Cuba beat Australia in Tokyo and flew more than 7,000 miles to Miami to play Team USA.
Cuba got off to a great start on Sunday with three straight infield hits and an RBI walk by Alfredo Despaigne. But Wainwright got the next three batters to escape further damage. The key play was a grounder to Arenado, who got the force at the plate for the inning's first out.
USA took a 2-1 lead three batters into the bottom of the first as Mookie Betts doubled and Goldschmidt drilled a one-out, 407-foot homer to left.
Turner went even deeper -- 428 feet -- with his homer that gave that U.S. a 3-1 lead in the second.
USA loaded the bases with one out in the third as Arenado singled, Kyle Schwarber was hit by a pitch and Will Smith walked. Pete Alonso made it 4-1 with an RBI single, and Tim Anderson added a sacrifice fly.
In the fourth, Goldschmidt drew a two-out walk and scored from first on Arenado's triple. Arenado then scored on a Carlos Viera wild pitch to make it 7-1.
Cuba got to Team USA's bullpen in the fifth as White Sox star Yoan Moncada doubled and scored on Andy Ibanez's single.
But Goldschmidt's two-run single in the bottom of the fifth gave USA a 9-2 lead, and the Americans cruised from there.
--Walter Villa, Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Sydney Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Sydney Sun.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - The bulls had the upper hand again on Friday, pushing the major indices to new ...
LOS ANGELES, California: After adjusting its battery supply chain to qualify for federal credits and other tax breaks, Tesla's Model ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Before the start of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference this week, Apple shares hit a ...
FREMONT, California: Elon Musk's brain implant startup Neuralink, valued at some $2 billion during a private fundraising round two years ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks moved higher Thursday as investors and traders took a break from their recent ...
LISBON, Portugal: Carsten Spohr, Chief Executive of Lufthansa, has said that as Portugal's government is still debating whether to sell ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The Biden administration has announced that it is providing grants worth $570 million to eliminate many dangerous railroad ...
PARIS, France: According to a report by BFM TV, Britain's King Charles is considering a visit to France in September, ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The Federal Aviation Administration has said that a drone sighting disrupted some flights at Pittsburgh International Airport this ...
PORTLAND, Oregon: A federal trial has begun in Portland, Oregon examining the constitutionality of a stringent gun control law approved ...
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and members of the city's historical commission have been sued by a group which ...
LANSING, Michigan: Michigan's Department of Natural Resources said by a wildfire in the state has burned through more than 3 ...