World Baseball Classic Pool B: Cuba – Mexico 16-4 (7)
MEX 002 110 0 4 5 0 CUB 101 500 9 16 17 1
Cuba set up a rematch of the 2006 World Baseball Classic finals with Japan in the round-two opener, after celebrating a lopsided 16-4 victory over Mexico on Thursday. At the Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City, the Cuban team used two big innings to secure first seed in Pool B. Mexico advances too and is going to play against Korea on Sunday at PETCO Park in San Diego, where the tournament continues for all four mentioned countries.
After each team scored twice in the first three frames, Mexico took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth on Agustin Murillo’s RBI double. But it was a short-lived advantage. Yulieski Gourriel put Cuba back in front with a two-run homerun. Yoennis Cespedes followed with a RBI single and Michel Enriquez concluded the five-run rally with a two-run double.
The contest went into the seventh with the score at 7-4, when Cuba blew the game wide open with nine runs, winning 16-4 due to ten-run mercy rule. Gourriel started the outburst with a two-run double to bring his RBI total for the match to four. Ariel Pestano and Frederich Cepeda added three-run homeruns to seal the win.
Freddy Sandoval, Oscar Robles and Karim Garcia homered for Mexico. Australia, Cuba and Mexico hit a total of 28 homeruns during the six days of competition at the Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City, about 2000 meters above sea level. Now the sluggers of Cuba and Mexico will try their luck on the opposite of the spectrum, at PETCO Park in San Diego, where pitchers love to throw the ball.
Both teams used the game on Thursday to get some work in for hurlers, who weren’t much used in the first days of the World Baseball Classic. Pablo Ortega allowed two hits and a run in his two-inning start. He was opposed by Ciro Licea, who gave up one hit and two base on balls in 1 1/3 innings for Cuba. Yulieski Gonzalez (W 1-0) received the win, Francisco Campos (L 0-1) took the loss.