Two days are left on the schedule of the preliminary round at the Pan Am/Baseball World Cup Qualifier in Puerto Rico. Cuba and Team USA improved to 4-0 on Tuesday. Cuba defeated Canada 4-2, overcoming a 0-2 deficit in the process. Yoennis Cespedes drove in all four runs, three on a bases clearing double in the sixth. Jamie Romak had put the maple leafs in front with a two-run double in the fourth. Yuliesky Gonzalez struck out ten in 7 2/3 innings for the win. Canada’s Philippe Aumont issued three hits and a run in five innings, striking out seven.
Team USA broke a 2-2 tie against the Dominican Republic with a five-run rally in the third, winning 8-3 in the end. Chase D’Arnaud drove in two. Eric Hosmer went 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI. Tony Batista homered for the Dominicans. Former AL Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon took the loss, surrendering seven hits, six runs and a walk in 2 1/3 innings.
In other games, Venezuela picked up its fourth win in the fifth match, edging out Nicaragua 3-2 behind a two-run homerun by Wuilluiams Vasquez and a RBI single by Oscar Angulo. Jesus Martinez went seven strong innings for the win. In a matchup of winless squads Argentina celebrated a ten-inning 4-3 victory over the Netherlands Antilles. Andley Simmons homered for the Antilleans. They had evened the score in the ninth, but fell in extra innings.
In group A Gabriel Martinez and Luis Figueroa (3-4, 2 RBI) homered to lead Puerto Rico to a 3-2 win over Colombia. Julio Rodriguez gave up just one run on three hits in six-plus innings for the win. Panama moved into second place in the standings with a 12-4 rout over Aruba. Carlos Munoz went 4-for-6 with two runs scored and three RBI. Kenny Hart picked up two RBI for Aruba.
Results Day 5:
October 5:
Group A:
Panama – Aruba 12-4
Dominican Republic – USA 3-8
Colombia – Puerto Rico 2-3
Group B:
Venezuela – Nicaragua 3-2
Netherlands Antilles – Argentina 3-4 (10)
Canada – Cuba 2-4
Complete Results, Box scores on BaseballdeCuba.com
Standings:
Group A:
- USA 4-0
- Panama 3-1
- Puerto Rico 3-2
- Dominican Republic 2-2
- Colombia 1-4
- Aruba 0-4
Group B:
- Cuba 4-0
- Venezuela 4-1
- Canada 2-2
- Nicaragua 1-3
- Argentina 1-3
- Netherlands Antilles 0-3
Schedule Day 6:
October 6:
- 11am Nicaragua – Argentina
- 3pm Canada – Netherlands Antilles
- 7.30pm Panama – USA
- 7.30pm Dominican Republic – Aruba