Cuba headed to Miami, moves on to semifinals

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

CUBA 4, AUSTRALIA 3

TOKYO — Cuba earned a 7,500-mile flight to Miami for a trip to the World Baseball Classic semifinals for the first time since 2006.

“Cuban baseball fans are so emotional right now. They have been waiting for a long time at the moment,” Manager Armando Johnson said after a 4-3 win over Australia on Wednesday night. “This is the new page, new chapter.”

Alfredo Despaigne hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly and Yoelkis Guibert followed with a two-run single in three-run fifth inning.

Using current major leaguers for the first time at the WBC, Cuba plays on Sunday in Marlins Park against the winner of a quarterfinal between Venezuela and the second-place team from Group C: Canada, Colombia, Mexico or the U.S.

Former Philadelphia Phillies prospect Rixon Wingrove, who led Australia with seven RBI in the tournament, hit a go-ahead RBI single in the second and had a two-run home run in the sixth off the Chicago Cubs’ Roenis Elias. Australia got two on later in the sixth before Elias retired Milwaukee Brewers prospect Alex Hall on a flyout.

Elias pitched a perfect seventh, Livan Moinelo worked around a pair of walks in a hitless eighth by striking out Ulrich Bojarski and retiring Tim Kennelly on an inning-ending flyout. Raidel Martinez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save, striking out Darryl George on the eighth pitch of the at-bat for the final out.

Before a crowd of 35,061 at the Tokyo Dome, Luis Robert tied the score for Cuba with a run-scoring groundout in the third.

Cuba, which lost the 2006 final to Japan, had been eliminated in the second round of the previous three WBCs. The Cubans won their third consecutive game in this tournament after losing their first two.

Australia advanced past the group stage for the first time.

“Basically this trip is redefining Australian baseball back home and hopefully it changes the conversation,” George said. “People don’t really expect a lot from us.”

Yoan Moncada of the Chicago White Sox had two hits and two walks, and is hitting .421 with five RBI. Moncada sparked the third with a oneout double off Mitch Neunborn, who had walked Roel Santos leading off.

Winner Miguel Romero, the second of five Cuban pitchers, allowed one hit in 12/3 scoreless innings.

MEXICO 10, CANADA 3

PHOENIX — Randy Arozarena had two doubles and five RBI, Rowdy Tellez added a two-run single and a home run, and Mexico pulled away late from Canada to earn a spot in the quarterfinals.

Jose Urquidy gave up two runs over four innings, striking out five to earn the win. Arozarena — the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year for the Tampa Bay Rays — hit a bases-clearing double in the sixth that broke the game open, giving Mexico a 6-2 lead.

Canada leadoff hitter Edouard Julien had two hits and an RBI and catcher Bo Naylor hit a home run. Rob Zastryzny took the loss after giving up three runs over two innings.

VENEZUELA 5, ISRAEL 1

MIAMI — Eugenio Suarez homered, singled twice and had three RBI and starter Jesus Luzardo struck out five in four scoreless innings to lead Venezuela, which already had clinched the Group D title and a quarterfinal berth.

Ronald Acuna Jr. had two singles while Eduardo Escobar also went deep for Venezuela, which finished with 10 hits.

Venezuela burst to a three-run lead in the first against Robert Stock. Acuna broke out of a tournament-starting 1-for11 skid with an RBI single and Suarez hit a two-run single.

Jakob Goldfarb’s RBI single in the seventh snapped a 22-inning scoreless streak for Israel.