Baseball World Cup Pool F, Amsterdam:
Cuba – Puerto Rico 2-5
PUE 001 010 030 5 13 0 CUB 000 110 000 2 7 1
Puerto Rico stunned Cuba on Friday with a 5-2 win, leaving the Netherlands as the lone remaining undefeated team in the tournament. Puerto Rico scored three runs in the top of the eighth to decide the outcome. Luis Matos led off the frame with a solo homerun over the left field fence. Four batters and one out later, Jose Valentin drove in two more with a double.
Cuba put a runner on third with one out in the eighth, but couldn’t capitalize and lost for the first time in the 2009 Baseball World Cup. In the preliminary phase Cuba had beaten Puerto Rico 10-0 in seven innings. Alfredo Despaigne and Ariel Pestano had tied the game twice with solo homeruns before, as Puerto Rico had taken the lead twice.
Efrain Nieves (PUE) gave up five hits, two runs and two bb in 4 2/3 innings. Maikel Folch (CUB) issued seven hits, two runs (1 ER) and two walks in 4 2/3 innings too. Miguel Mejia picked up the win, Vladimir Garcia took the loss.