Baseball World Cup Pool F, Amsterdam:
Cuba – Venezuela 10-0 (8)
VEN 000 000 00 0 4 4 CUB 301 000 24 10 14 1
Norge Vera led Cuba to a 10-0 shutout in eight innings against Venezuela. He allowed just four hits and a walk in seven scoreless innings, striking out ten. 69 of his 107 pitches were strikes. The record champion took a fast 3-0 lead in the opening frame and blew things wide open in the last two innings to end the contest due to ten-run rule.
Alfredo Despaigne hit a solo homerun. Jose Abreu went three-for-four with three RBI. Three players scored twice. Venezuela stayed hitless through the first 4 2/3 innings. Left-hander Jose Escalona, who had impressed in relief against Team USA last Thursday, started on Wednesday and took the loss. He gave up eight hits, four runs and five bb in 5 2/3 innings.
