Baseball World Cup Round 3, Firenze:
Puerto Rico – USA 0-3
USA 010 010 010 3 8 1 PUE 000 000 000 0 4 0
Just 130 people saw Team USA clinching a berth for the championship game at the Baseball World Cup on Wednesday. Three homeruns helped them to beat Puerto Rico 3-0 and to improve to 5-0 in the third round. They have games left against Cuba and the Netherlands. Puerto Rico still has an outsider chance to make the title game too.
The USA took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, when New York Mets prospect Ike Davis went deep. Buck Coats and Jon Weber extended the gap to three runs with solo shots in the fifth and the eighth. Coats reached base five times, going three-for-three with two walks.
On the mound Todd Redmond (W 3-0) was dealing again, allowing just four hits and a bb in 8 1/3 scoreless innings. He struck out four. Jason Childers retired the last two batters in the ninth for his first save in the tournament. Efrain Nieves (L 1-1) took the loss, issuing three hits, two runs and four walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Team USA faces Cuba on Thursday evening (live on Eurosport2 and MLB Network), starting at 8pm CET in Nettuno. Puerto Rico will battle with Taiwan in Chieti.