United States pulverized Cuba
Shortstop Trea Turner connected for two home runs and drove in four runs, starter Paul Goldschmidt had a home run and four RBIs and outfielder Mookie Betts had three hits and two runs scored to lead the Stars and Stripes to a 14-2 victory before 35,779 fans on Sunday at Miami’s Loan Depot Park.
On a tense and vibrant night for the Cuban national team’s first visit to the Cuban exile capital, the U.S. artillery scored in each of the first six innings and finished the game with 14 hits (including four home runs, three doubles and a triple) and the biggest win in its World Classic history.
The United States, which now leads the World Classic with 49 runs scored, scored the most in a semifinal or final of the event.
The United States, which defeated Puerto Rico in the 2017 final, will face Monday’s winner between Japan and Mexico in the championship clash on Tuesday. In that clash it will seek to match Japan, the only one with back-to-back world titles (2006 and 2009).
The first three Cuban batters of the game (CF Roel Santos, 3B Yoan Moncada and CF Luis Robert) hit infield hits against right-hander Adam Wainwright, who retired designated hitter Alfredo Despaigne to send Santos to the plate with the game’s first run.
But Wainwright, a 195-game winner in 17 years in the majors, dominated SS Erisbel Arruebarruena, 2B Andy Ibanez and catcher Ariel Martinez without allowing any more runs to limit the West Indians’ damage.
The 41-year-old righty worked four innings of five-hit, one-run ball, exactly the same performance he had against Great Britain in his international debut last March 11, to finish with a 2.25 ERA in the tournament.
In the bottom of the first inning, Betts hit a double and Goldschmidt a home run to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead against left-hander Roenis Elias. A lead that was not in jeopardy for the remainder of the game.
Turner, who hit a home run with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to decide Saturday’s game against Venezuela, hit a solo home run in the second inning on Sunday. It was Turner’s third home run in the 2023 World Classic and second in consecutive innings.
Turner is the second Team USA hitter to hit home runs in consecutive innings. The first was Ken Griffey Jr. in the inaugural Classic in 2006. The Philadelphia Phillies’ $300 million shortstop added another home run in the sixth to join Griffey Jr. as the only Americans with two in a WBC game.
For Cuba, Moncada, Robert and Arruebarruena, three players with major league experience, each hit two hits.
Right-hander Miles Mikolas, Wainwright’s teammate with the Cardinals, pitched four innings of six-hit, one-run ball, giving manager Mark De Rosa’s bullpen the rest it needed in back-to-back games. Aaron Loup retired the ninth inning.
For the second straight night at home for the Miami Marlins, a star left the game after being hit in the right hand. On Saturday, American Daniel Bard struck out Venezuelan Jose Altuve, who needs surgery on his thumb and will miss an undetermined amount of time with the Houston Astros. On Sunday, Cuban Elian Leyva struck out shortstop Nolan Arenado, who was removed from the game.
Fortunately, for the U.S. and the Cardinals, Arenado’s X-ray test came back negative for a fracture. Arenado batted 3-2 with a triple and two hits.
Dozens of fans protested peacefully outside the stadium, not so much against the team, but against the Cuban Baseball Federation, an appendage of the island’s communist government. Three fans jumped onto the field after the sixth inning and many shouted “freedom, freedom” and “homeland and life” throughout the game.
