Trout, USA advance to quarters

PHOENIX — Mike Trout had three hits and three RBIs, and the United States used a stellar night from its deep bullpen to beat Colombia 3-2 and advance to a quarterfinal against Venezuela on Saturday.

Mexico and the U.S. both finished with a 3-1 record in Group C to advance. Mexico gets the top seed because it beat the U.S. 11-5 on Sunday.

Trout singled in the third, bringing home Mookie Betts and giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead. Colombia bounced back quickly, taking a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third on Gio Urshela’s sacrifice fly and an RBI double from Reynaldo Rodriguez.

Trout put the Americans ahead again in the fifth with a two-run single that scored Betts and Will Smith.

Merrill Kelly gave up two runs in three innings for the Americans. Kelly then gave way to a parade of hard throwing bullpen arms: Kendall Graveman, Daniel Bard, David Bednar, Jason Adam, Devin Williams and Ryan Pressly each threw a scoreless inning to finish the win.

Colombia started the tournament with an upset win over Mexico, but then lost three straight to Canada, Britain and the U.S.

A crowd of 29,856 at Chase Field watched the game.

CUBA 4, AUSTRALIA 3

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

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, Cuba plays on Sunday in Marlins Park against the winner of the U.S.Venezuela quarterfinal.

Former major-leaguer Yoenis Céspedes left the team before the game for unspecified personal reasons, the Cuban Baseball Federation said.

MEXICO 10, CANADA 3

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

Mexico started the tournament with a surprising loss to Colombia in Group C at Chase Field but rallied with three straight wins, beating the U.S., Britain and Canada.

José 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 solo homer. Rob Zastryzny took the loss after giving up three runs over two innings.

Canada played without Los Angeles Dodgers star first baseman Freddie Freeman, who left Tuesday’s game because of a hamstring injury.

Arozaena already has nine RBIs through four games in the tournament. That’s just three shy of the record set by Netherlands’ Wladimir Balentien in 2017.

VENEZUELA 5, ISRAEL 1

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

Ronald Acuña 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. Acuña broke out of a tournament-starting 1for-11 skid with an RBI single and Suárez hit a two-run single.

Escobar’s solo shot in the fourth made it 4-0 and Suárez connected with a leadoff drive in the sixth.

Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press The United States’ Mike Trout celebrates after hitting a two-run single against Colombia during the fifth inning of a World Baseball Classic game in Phoenix on Wednesday.