As a result, the team advances to its second semifinal in history and faces a yet-unknown opponent A World Classics game between Australia and Cuba, decided once again by one race, couldn't be any other way. Once again, the Caribbean islanders won. There are times when history repeats itself. Box score | Play-by-Play Cuba will play its second semifinal in history next Sunday, March 19, in Miami, while Australia takes pride in having achieved its best performance in history in these tournaments. As expected, there was a clash between two old friends in international competitions. Against Cuban starter Yariel Rodríguez, Australia scored first on Darryl George's double and Rixon Wingrove's RBI single to right in the top of the second inning. With two outs in the third, Yariel's lack of command led him to load the bases, but the right-hander ended the threat by retiring George on a ground ball to Arruebarrena at shortstop. A great opportunity was missed by Australia's offense, which ultimately cost them the game. Cuba would respond quickly in the bottom of the third inning against right-hander Mitch Neunborn. Roel Santos received a walk and moved to third on Yoán Moncada's double off the left-field wall, a shot that appeared to leave the park for a moment, before reaching home on Luis Robert's grounder to short. When Despaigne moved Moncada to third base in a splendid defense play by Australian second baseman Robbie Glendinning, Cuba might have extended the lead, but Erisbel Arruebarrena struck out to end the inning. With one out Yariel was removed from the game after he issued two walks in the fourth inning. Luis M. Romero, one of the best relievers in the Cuban bullpen, ended the threat by striking out Robbie Perkins and dominating Ulrich Bojarski on a fly out to Arruebarrena at short. Romero would be credited with the win. In the fifth inning, the game will be decided. Santos singled to center, Moncada walked, prompting reliever Josh Guyer to take the mound, who hit Luis Robert to load the bases. Then Alfredo Despaigne, the captain of the Cuban team, sent a liner to right field, deep enough to score Santos from third and Cuba was winning 2-1. It was Despaigne's 20th RBI in World Classics history, second only to Cuban legend Frederich Cepeda (23). Arruebarrena's left-field single would load the bases again before another reliever, Jon Kennedy, came to the mound. Then Yoelkis Guibert lined a two-RBI single through the right side in a full count that put Cuba ahead 4-1. Australia, which has hit the most home runs in this World Classic, was not ready to give up, and found its best weapon to turn things around. It was in the sixth inning, when the Cuban manager - in a big surprise - sent left-handed Roenis Elías to the mound - supposed starter of the semifinal game in Miami - and he allowed Aaron Whitefield's single and Rixon Wingrove's two-run homer over the right-center field wall to pull Australia within 4-3. In the end, that was all Australia could manage against Cuba. Elías pitching another inning went without incident, and then the two big Cuban relief pitchers came in. After walking two in the eighth, Liván Moinelo struck out Bojarski and retired Tim Kennelly on a fly to right to end the inning. In the game, this was Australia's last threat. Raidel Martínez secured the victory and the save in the ninth inning, retiring all three men he faced with two strikeouts. Cuba then celebrated as the team became semifinalists for the second time in history and first since 2006, something that seems impossible just a week ago. At loanDepot Park in Miami, Cuba will play the semifinal next Sunday at 7:00 pm (Cuba and Eastern US Time), against an unknown opponent, who must emerge as the winner between Venezuela and the second place of Group C in the quarterfinal duel.

A ticket to the semifinals is on the line for both teams. In the World Classics, Cuba has a 2-0 record against Australia In the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), Cuba is one step away from reaching its second semifinal in history. This is Cuba's fifth consecutive appearance in the second round of these tournaments since the tournament began in 2006. Cuba will also be playing for a WBC semifinal berth for the third time. In a historic semifinal game in 2006, they defeated the Dominican Republic, 3-1. They did it again in 2013 against the Netherlands, losing 7-6 after holding a 6-4 lead in the eighth inning. On Wednesday, March 15th, 7:00 pm (local time) and 6:00 am (Cuba and Eastern US time), the game will be played at the iconic Tokyo Dome in Japan. In Australia, the Cubans face an old friend. Cuba and Australia have a long history of participating in international events, but the importance of this meeting in 2023 has never been greater. A 6-2 victory by Cuba - to win its third Olympic title - in the 2004 Olympic final, was the most important matchup between these two teams before this one. Australians are coming off a great moment. In Group B, the Australians have posted three victories, with their only loss coming against heavy favorites Japan. The Aussies had only won two games in previous editions of the Clasico. this year, with a 8-7 win over South Korea, Australia went on to beat China 12-2, lose to Japan 7-1, and defeat the Czech Republic 8-3 to complete qualifying. But, to be honest, after defeating South Korea in their debut match, the team practically secured their ticket to the quarterfinals for the first time, with Korea failing to advance to the second round of these tournaments for the third consecutive time. Cuba, on the other hand, had a path where it was not so much about how you begin as how you end. During their debut, the Cubans lost 4-2 to the Netherlands, then suffered a 6-3 extra innings loss to Italy, before they rallied with victories of 13-4 against Panama and 7-1 against Chinese Taipei. With this last win, they were able to win Group A, with the lowest tiebreak coefficient that determined the places after multiple teams tied in wins and losses, in this case 2-2, among five teams. The winner of this quarterfinals match will advance to the semifinals at the loanDepot Park in Miami, on March 19 at 7:00 pm (ET). Last time Australia played Cuba at a higher level of international competition was during the Premier-12 world tournament in 2019. Australia lost that game, 3-2, on November 7 in 10 innings as part of Group C of the tournament played at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Korea. They have faced off twice in the World Classics, and both clashes were dramatic. During the II World Baseball Classic in 2009, Cuba was losing 4-3 at the Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City when Yosvany Peraza hit a two-run home run, with Yulieski Gurriel on base, in the eighth inning to seal a 5-4 victory. During the 2017 tournament, the second game between these two teams occurred - exactly at the Tokyo Dome -, where Cuba also won sensationally, 4-3, once again on March 10, with another historic home run, this time by Alfredo Despaigne, a Grand Slam in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Cuba trailed 1-0. Team Cuba, who this time have seen the departure of two of their players in outfielder Yoennis Céspedes - due to family problems - and Andy Ibáñez, at the request of his MLB team, the Detroit Tigers, to assess a player's injury, have not yet announced their replacements for the important clash. However, managers Dave Nilsson, for Australia, and Armando Johnson, for Cuba, have publicly announced their starters for the match, let's see who they are. Starters: Steve Kent, Australia: 33, is a left-handed veteran of the Australian Baseball League (ABL). Having played in the ABL for 12 years, he is playing in his third World Baseball Classic (2013 & 2017 previously). He has won an Australian title - the Claxton Shield is the name of the Australian league title - with the Canberra Cavalry team in 2012, the only title for Canberra in the ABL. Kent has pitched in the MLB minor leagues as high as Triple-A where he had a 10-13 record, a 4.12 ERA and 247 strikeouts over 266 2/3 innings for six seasons. In 14 seasons, he has a 38-37 record with a 4.00 ERA at all levels. With the Melbourne Aces in the ABL in 2022-2023, he started only four games with a 2-2 record and a 4.41 PCL. Kent pitched 1/3 innings in the tournament's opening match against South Korea, allowing three runs with three walks and a strikeout, but crediting himself with the hold. Previous to the game against Cuba, Kent said to Baseball Australia: “This is really hard to talk about. But really cool,” he says. “Outside these four walls there may not be a lot of people who believe in us, but it doesn’t matter what happens out there because all that matters is what happens inside these walls. We expected to be here.” Kent ended by saying, “It starts with our manager Dave Nilsson,” says Kent of his coach and Australian MLB All-Star. “He believes that we are good enough to be the best tournament baseball team in the world and that we can beat anyone. And we believe it too.” Yariel Rodríguez, Cuba: 25, a product of the Cuban National Series, Yariel Rodríguez made his debut on the island with the Toros de Camagüey in 2015-2016. This is the first time the right-hander has participated in the World Baseball Classic. The Cuban-born Yariel has played in Cuba for six seasons, and after signing with the Chunichi Dragons team of the Japan Professional Baseball League (NPB), he has played for the team for three seasons (2020-2022) with a record of 10-10, mostly as a relief player. As a reliever in 2022, Yariel went 6-2 with 39 holds in 54 2/3 innings, striking out 60 batters and having a 1.15 ERA. As Cuba's starting pitcher for this edition of the WBC tournament, Yariel completed four innings of only three hits, one earned run, one walk, and six strikeouts against the Netherlands, in a 4-2 loss. There was no decision for Yariel in this game. Likewise, Yariel Rodríguez told the Cuban sports magazine Jit that he was happy with the responsibility he was given for this match by the manager, Armando Johnson: "The team is happy, I'm happy with my responsibilities. I am confident I can take that responsibility, and we hope the results are good," he concluded. Cuba' Stats | Australia' Stats How do I watch the game? Fox Sports 2 (FS2) will broadcast the game in the United States at 6:00 am (ET), while Tele Rebelde will broadcast it in Cuba.

For the fifth consecutive time in the World Classics, the Cubans must advance to the second round Throughout the brief history of the World Classics, Cuba never lost the two initial matches. This was the situation faced by the Cuban team of the V edition of the World Classic after a 6-3 defeat against Italy in 10 innings on Thursday, March 9. Three days later, after beating Panama and Chinese Taipei, respectively, Cuba nearly has a spot in the next round, for the tournament quarterfinals in Tokyo, Japan. As for Chinese Taipei, it was eliminated after being a great host and with a crowd that never stopped supporting them. Box score | Play-by-Play The Cuban offense, which was asleep during the first two games of the tournament, remained awake to produce the needed runs to win. Cuba could not play from behind in front of 18,852 fans at the Taichung Intercontinental Stadium, most of whom backed the home team. Four runs in the very first inning silenced - let's be honest, not always completely - almost an entire stadium, due to how early Cuba was taking the lead, in a game in which both teams were playing their part. Despite being completely dominated by the opposition in most of the first two Cuba games, Yoán Moncada hit a double to center off starter Chen Shih-Peng, Luis Robert reached base on a shortstop's throwing error, and then Alfredo Despaigne drove in two with a double in the gap in right, giving Cuba a 2-0 lead. Erisbel Arruebarrena completed the four-run inning against Chen by hitting a home run to center field. Cuba would extend the score in the second inning. After Yadir Drake and Yadil Mujica hit singles to begin the inning, Mujica moved Drake to third. Roel Santos forced Mujica into a grounder to shortstop, but Drake scored from third. Cuba was winning 5-0. The Taipei starter left the game, and Kuan-Wei Chen entered. But Moncada would make it 6-0 after hitting a solo home run after Santos was caught stealing. Cuba would score one last time in the fourth. The inning began with Drake's double to center. After Mujica struck out, Santos singled to left, bringing Drake to the plate. The Cuban starter, Elián Leyva, and four relievers played an important role in making the result possible. Just 24 hours after Taipei stripped the undefeated Netherlands, Cuban pitching kept this offense quiet, allowing just 2 hits through 8 innings. Leyva won the game after pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts, two walks and one single. A cramp in Leyva's pitching hand forced him to leave the game in the third inning. Continuing his excellent work during the tournament, Luis M. Romero pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out four, and Onelki Garcia pitched 2 scoreless innings, striking out two. The two relief pitchers form the Japanese league arrived later in the game. In the eight Liván Moinelo in the eighth completing the inning with a strikeout and only 10 pitches, making it 13 consecutive retired Taipei batters. Even though he was the only pitcher to allow a Taipei run, Raidel Martínez sealed the win. A double by first baseman Yu Chang put Taipei on the board after the right-hander allowed a single leading off the inning. But as Martínez he retired the next two batters, he completed an important win for Cuba. The win improved Cuba's record against Chinese Taipei to 2-0 in the World Classics, allowing only one run in 15 innings with 8 hits allowed and 16 strikeouts. Regarding Cuba's progress in the tournament, it has to do with the fact that at the moment, Group A has three teams with a 2-2 record, Panama, Chinese Taipei, and Cuba. Having defeated the two previous teams, Cuba will advance to the next round if the Netherlands defeats Italy. In the event that Italy wins, everyone in the group would be tied at 2-2. Here is where the tiebreaker rule comes into play. Preliminarily, we can say that Cuba would advance for the following reasons: The Netherlands is classified unless Italy wins by more than four run In the event that Italy doesn't win by four runs or more, they will be eliminated Panama will be eliminated unless Italy wins and allows 10 runs Chinese Taipei has been eliminated Cuba is classified unless Italy beats the Netherlands by more than ten runs. If no team exceeds Cuba's tiebreaker coefficient (runs allowed / defensive outs), the team can advance as the first in the group.

Cuba plays Chinese Taipei on Saturday with the possibility of advancing to the second round During the second inning, when Panama scored four runs to oust Cuban starter Ronald Bolaos, the Cuban national team looked destined to leave the V World Baseball Classic early. Box score | Play-by-Play With their ballplay lacking in quality, the Cubans did not look like real contenders to win their first game of the tournament. However, the team's goal was clear. The game began with both teams scoring alternately. First time at the World Classic, Cuba became ruthless with its offensive, setting a new personal record of hits (21) for the team, disposing of Panama by a huge margin, 13-4. Cuba is now 2-0 in the World Classics against Panama, with the other win coming on March 8, 2006, when both teams played their first match. Against left-handed starter Andy Otero, the Cubans scored in the first two innings with doubles by Alfredo Despaigne and Yadil Mujica, the latter having to review the video after being declared foul on a line drive from left field. In the bottom half of the second inning, however, Panama's hitters, facing the Cuban starter Ronald Bolano, pulled off an impressive comeback. Rubén Tejeda homered with a runner on base to tie the game. Minutes later, Panama seemed destined to eliminate Cuba, loading the bases with two walks and a single, and sending Bolaños back to the dugout. For the Cuban starter, it turned out to be the least impressive start by a Cuban pitcher in this WBC edition. The mandatory 65 pitches were not even completed by Bolanos. Allen Córdova would seal the Panamanian rally with a two-run rocket to the right, putting Panama ahead 4-2. It would be the last time Panama would score. With seven zeros on the board, Cuban relievers put pressure on the Panamanian bats, helped by ruthless offense starting in the sixth inning. Cuba loaded the bases with no outs in that sixth inning, only for Yadir Drake - who was 4-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored in the game - to drive in the what brought Cuba closer to 4-3. Following him, Yadiel Mujica's sacrifice fly to center gave Cuba the tying run. It was in this situation that Cuba's bats came to the rescue, both in the names of Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert, who came up with back-to-back singles to right field, to give Cuba a 6-4 lead they would never surrender. The score would rise to 11-4 an inning later as Cuba scored five runs. Against a nervous Panamanian relief pitcher, Mujica singled to right field for another two runs. With a single to left, Moncada drove in two other Cubans, and Luis Robert brought in Santos from third with a ground ball to third base. With the bases loaded in the eighth, Drake singled to right field, bringing one more. Cuba's victory was an important first step, and now the only option is to keep winning. The Caribbean will play Chinese Taipei this Saturday, when the host country will be the opponent, in a game scheduled for 11:00 pm (Havana time and Eastern US time). As for Panama, it will face Italy at 11:00 PM on Friday.

As of now, Cuba has a 0-2 record and won't depend on their results to advance to the second round Against Panama on March 7, 2006, Cuba played 10 innings, in what proved to be the first extra-inning game the country had ever taken part in World Classics since its debut. Today, it was the second extra innings Cuba had ever played at this level. It was another European rival, this time Italy, that beat Cuba 6-3 in 10 innings on Thursday at the Taichung Intercontinental Stadium in a huge surprise. Box score | Play-by-Play Cuba now finds itself in a precarious position in a group where the Netherlands continued to demonstrate its favoritism by disposing of Panama 3-1. The Cuban team will play their third game against Panama on Thursday at 11:30 pm (Havana time and Eastern US time), with the goal of avoiding early elimination from the tournament. Matt Harvey contributed to Italy's historic triumph by putting up three scoreless innings with 40 pitches, two hits, and a walk against Cuba. "It was an incredible win for us here and I couldn't be more proud to have received the ball in the first game," Harvey said after the game. There were even more outstanding achievements by Cuban Roenis Elías. He gave up just two hits while walking one and striking out three on 67 pitches in 5 innings against Italy. This was the second quality start for the Cuban team in the tournament. Yadir Drake and Yadil Mujica started the bottom of the third inning with hits against Harvey. He was able to get through the most difficult part of the lineup, retiring Guibert, Moncada and Luis Robert to end the threat. Following five full innings of scoreless play, Italy put the register to work in the sixth against Cuban relievers. Right-hander José R. Rodriguez took the ball and began to struggle, as he could only retire one batter and Italy loaded the bases with singles. Despite Naykel Cruz's strong relief, retiring the next two batters, Sullivan's sacrifice fly to right brought home the first run of the game. Italia was leading 1-0. In the next inning, Italy would extend its lead, thanks mostly to left fielder Yoennis Céspedes. He dropped a ball in left field with a runner on second base, allowing him to score for a 2-0 lead. Cuba managed to come back against the Italian relief pitching when Arruebarrena was called upon to save the day. In that seventh inning, "El Grillo" started the inning with a triple to center on a shot that was poorly fielded by the center fielder. Lorenzo Quintana followed with an RBI single to bring Arruebarrena home. Arruebarrena would drive in Despaigne an inning later, dropping the ball deep in right field, to tie the game sending the Cuban bench into a frenzy. The extra innings and tiebreaker rule were used when neither team scored in the ninth. Italy, the visitor, positioned Sal Frelick at second base, and he quickly took the Cuban defense by surprise and stole third base. It was from there that he scored, when the Cuban closer, Raidel Martínez, allowed John Valente's single to center. There would be more, however. Against left-handed Onelki García - new reliever for Cuba - , Dominic Fletcher put another on the board with a double to right field and, after Sullivan's out, David Fletcher was intentionally walked. But then Nicky López singled to center to drive in two more runs that put Italy 6-2 up. Despite another Cuban run in the bottom of the 10th, the Azzurri were able to walk away with the first win for their mentor, Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. "I was really impressed with our team. We didn't give up. We fought and ... it was a great victory for our federation," Piazza said afterward. Cubans simply suffered in all orders during the game. With Moncada going 0-for-5 and 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position in the game, Cuba once again failed to produce in the middle of their lineup. In Cuba's third turn, Luis Robert remains a caricature. Despite being 1-for-5 with an RBI against Italy, he struck out five times in nine plate appearances in Cuba's first two games. In two games, Moncada-Luis Robert-Céspedes have combined to go 2-23 (.087) with one RBI, three walks, and seven strikeouts. In two games with RISP, Cuba has hit only .167 (18-3) and left 14 men on base. In less than 24 hours, the Cubans will face Panama tonight at 11:30 pm, in a game that could leave the team with no chance of advancing. In this edition of the World Classic, only the top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals.

In editions of these tournaments, Cubans and Italians have never faced off Cuba lost to the Netherlands, 4-2, in the first game of this World Classic. In order to avoid an early elimination from the tournament as well as a failure to qualify for the next event in 2027, it is crucial for Cuba to defeat a difficult Italian team. It has already been announced that Cuba will have a different lineup against Italy. Alfredo Despaigne returns to the lineup after an absence against the Netherlands, while Yoelkis Guibert once again patrols right field after a strong offensive performance yesterday. Manager Armando Johnson desperately needs the MLB duo of Moncada and Luis Robert to succeed. In their combined game against the Netherlands pitching, they were 1-for-7 combined and 0-for-2 with RISP. How can you see it? Those in the United States can watch the game via the free Tubi TV application, while those in Cuba can watch it via Tele Rebelde. Starters Matt Harvey, Italy. Harvey makes his WBC debut. Having not pitched at the MLB level since 2021, the veteran pitcher will strive to give the Azzurri squad its first win. This is not only in the tournament, but also against Cuba for the first time at this level. With the Orioles in 2022, he went 8-1 with a 3.71 ERA in 13 minor league starts. Cuba, Roenis Elias. His MLB debut was in 2014 and he has pitched in seven seasons, most recently with Seattle in 2022. He debuted with the Guantánamo Indians in the Cuban National Series in 2008-2009. In the winter of 2022-2023 his performance with the Águilas Cibaeñas of LIDOM resulted in a 4-0 record with a ERA of 0.92 and 38 strikeouts in 39 innings.

Netherlands now leads Cuba 4-1 in World Classics.Cuba's only triumph came in 2006 As if three consecutive victories were not enough, the Netherlands managed to put another victory in editions of World Classics over Cuba, extending its dominance over the Caribbean team 4-1 since 2013 in World Baseball Classics. As part of Group A of the world tournament, the Netherlands won a clash at Taichung Intercontinental Stadium in Taiwan, 4-2, the first game of the 2023 edition of the international event. After losing on Tuesday, the Cubans will try again this Thursday at 6:00am (in Havana and the Eastern US), when they face a real danger in Italy. Italy and Cuba have never met in World Classics editions. It was Cuba's second defeat in an initial round game in the history of these tournaments. In 2017, Cuba lost 11-6 to Japan in the Group B debut, but won matches against China and Australia to advance to the second round. The teams that have lost the first game in the history of the World Classics - Taiwan (2006), China (2009), Australia (2013) and South Korea (2017) - have never advanced further in the tournament. Box score | Play-by-Play It turned out to be a pitching duel between Cuba's Yariel Rodriguez and the Netherlands' Tom de Blok. When the pitchers left the mound, the scoreboard showed them tied at 1 run. For Cuba, which had promoted Yariel from his role as reliever to starter with high expectations for this game, the tie was something they did not expect or desire. It was for this reason that Didi Gregorious' single to center in the third inning, driving in Roger Bernadina from second base with two outs, was so important. In the first inning, Cuba loaded the bases with walks and had only one out, but failed to score a run against a nervous Blok. Due to the unexpected absence of Alfredo Despaigne, Lorenzo Quintana was placed fifth in the Cuban lineup, and conceded a double play groundball in a well executed play by the Dutch to end the inning. Additionally, the Cubans struggled offensively, hitting three hits throughout the game, as well as failing to produce with runners in scoring position, an extension of their problems in warm-up games previous to the tournament. Against the Netherlands, Cuba went 0-for-7 with RISP, leaving five men stranded. However, Cubans took the lead first. In the second inning, Yoelkis Guibert walked for the first of two walks he received in the game, and Yadil Mujica hit Cuba's first single, a double along the right-field line, to bring Guibert home. De Blok left the game after three innings. He threw 58 pitches, with one earned run, four walks and two strikeouts, in what is considered a quality outing. On the other hand, with 66 pitches, 42 strikes, 6 strikeouts, one walk, and two hits, Yariel did exactly what everyone was expecting of him - scouts included - as he pitched four innings of one run and three hits. Until Netherlands' explosive sixth inning, both bullpens kept the score even. De Blok and right-hander Derek West, Netherlands first reliever, retired nine straight Cuban batters since Mujica's hit in the second inning until Roel Santos drew his second walk in the 5th. Yoan Moncada, a dangerous player, came into play in the fifth inning when Santos got on base, and right-hander Eric Mendez was brought in to take care of him. In what was the Dutch first tactical change that worked exactly as planned, Santos stole second to put more pressure on Mendez, but he retired Moncada on a foul fly by Simmons to end the threat. For half of the game, both teams were conspicuously silent offensively. With the game tied at one run in the bottom of the sixth, Netherlands rallied to win. Onelki Garcia - who had worked the fifth inning without difficulty - started the inning by walking Gregorious and accepting Jonathan Scoop's single to right. Cuba's manager Armando Johnson called in Carlos J. Viera, in a substitution not expected by many, and Viera began his work striking out Wladimir Balentien's powerful bat, but he could not avoid the single of the seventh in the order, right fielder Josh Palacios, for a 2-1 lead in Gregorious's legs. When Viera struck out Simmons for his second out of the inning, it seemed as though he would cut the damage, but the eighth hitter, catcher Chadwick Tromp, hit a 85 mph slider off him in the outer zone, dropping the ball in front of Luis Robert in center field. As a result, the Netherlands took a 4-1 and never looked back. Yadil Mujica drove in a run with an RBI groundout in the seventh, but that was all for Armando Johnson's squad. In the end, the Netherlands prevailed thanks to the Dutch bullpen. With one out in the eighth and facing right-hander Franklin Van Gurp, Cuba put a runner in scoring position when Luis Robert - was 0-for-3 with 3 SO - doubled to deep center field. Nevertheless, after Céspedes grounded out to shortstop and Quintana was in the batter's box, Luis Robert separated a world from second base in a lousy offensive play, and was surprised by the Netherlands catcher, Tromp, with a quick throw to second, which was reviewed by the referees but eventually confirmed. In the ninth, Wendell Floranus had no trouble closing out the game. He retired all three batters he faced, including a strikeout on catcher Quintana. He was also helped from his star shortstop, Bogaerts, during the last out of the game.

—The V World Baseball Classic's Opening Day between the Netherlands and Cuba By Yirsandy Rodríguez It has been six years since the World Baseball Classic last took place, and finally we can say it: Welcome back! We are already a few hours from hearing the voice of play ball, and the first game of the V World Baseball Classic is a duel full of expectations between Cuba and the Netherlands that will take place at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium at 11:00 pm (Eastern Time in the United States) this Tuesday. It made me think about what the long-awaited edition, which was scheduled for 2021, would have looked like, but was interrupted by COVID-19. While the United States is the defending champion, the Dominican Republic - 2013 - and Japan - 2006 & 2009 -, champions in the first three editions of the event, have already shown appreciable strengths. Both right-handers Tom de Blok and Yariel Rodriguez have been announced for the Cuba vs. Netherlands matchup, backed by a pair of bullpen players who will be key to the team's success. While De Blok was chosen at the last minute, he received the confidence of the coaching staff led by manager Hensley Meulens, who is joined by renowned pitching coaches Bert Blyleven and Mike Harkey. De Blok will be making his first start in a World Baseball Classic, although he participated in the 2017 team as a reliever. Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez will also make his World Baseball Classic debut. Cubans last saw him perform in an international event on June 1, 2021, when he pitched 6.1 innings with 11 strikeouts against Canada in the Olympic Qualifying tournament in Florida, in an attempt to save right-hander Carlos Juan Viera's deficient start. It is the fifth matchup between the two teams at the World Baseball Classic level, where the Netherlands has won three straight games and leads 29-20 in runs scored. Aside from that particular record, the main story will once again be whether the "Tulipanes" will continue to dominate Cuba, aided by the impact of a generation of Major League players. I imagine you were asked the same question at some point: how has Cuba vs. the Netherlands become one of the most anticipated matches in the World Baseball Classic? The rivalry between the two teams dates back to the early 2000s, so the historic rivalry has been important. The convincing mastery of the "Tulipanes" Cuba vs. the Netherlands... or Cuba vs. the Kingdom of the Netherlands... in what context do these confrontations take place? I am certain that Cuba's 11-2 win in the First World Baseball Classic will remain indelible in the minds of baseball fans everywhere. In the opening inning, Ariel Borrero hit a rule double that flew past centerfielder Andruw Jones, along with home runs by Yoandy Garlobo and Osmany Urrutia. Cuba's offensive looked adjusted on that Thursday, March 9, 2006, when it defeated the Netherlands 11-2. Right-handers Ormary Romero and Yadel Martí - a pair of pitchers from Santiago de Cuba and Industriales, Cuban baseball's eternal rivals - managed Tulipanes' lineup from top to bottom. Nevertheless, the story changed after the second Classic. During the 2013 edition, the Netherlands won 6-2 and 7-6 in the Second Round. Avenging the setback of 2006, Diegomar Markwell -with four runs and six hits in 3.1 innings- triumphed in the first game, while the Netherlands made an impressive comeback in the second. With a well-timed RBI single by Yasmany Tomás and a sacrifice fly by Eriel Sánchez, Cuba had taken a 6-4 lead. However, as lefty Norberto González closed out the bottom of the eighth inning, Tulipanes shortstop and leadoff man Andrelton Simmons crushed a 77 mph curveball for a two-run home run. In the IV World Classic's Second Round on March 14, 2017, Markwell came out smiling again with a 14-1 victory. Right-handed Lázaro Blanco, Cuba's starter, surrendered four earned runs in 1.2 innings while the Netherlands' lineup was 5-for-10 against him. The most notorious executioner of Cuba, Wladimir "Coco" Balentien, continued his 2013 work against Cuba. Balentien went 3-for-4, scored three times, hit two home runs, and had five RBIs in the game. A weak Cuban pitching staff gave the Tulipanes a 7-for-12 record when they found runners in scoring position. As a result of that impressive knockout, the Cuba team was eliminated from the IV World Classic and saw their streak of consecutive defeats extend to three, a trend they will work hard to reverse against the Netherlands this Tuesday. Is Cuba prepared to retaliate? Are the Tulipanes going to continue to pass sentence? Before and after play ball, enjoy our coverage!

In the World Classic V preparation games, Cuba now has a 4-6 record In a match with great historical significance for Cuban baseball, the Rakuten Monkeys of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), beat the Cuban national team 5-4, in a warm-up game for the Cubans ahead of the V World Baseball Classic, which will begin March 8 in Taichung, Taiwan. A game that lasted only eight innings due to a three-hour time limit saw Cuba field active players in the Major League circuit for the first time in its rich baseball history, something that was unimaginable six months ago. Particularly considering the historical treatment provided by the island to players who left the country to play in foreign leagues, specifically the North American Major League Baseball (MLB). Despite three errors by the Rakuten and nine hits by the Cubans, the Cuban national team lost the warmup game by a score of 5-4. It was their sixth loss in 10 games in preparation for the V World Baseball Classic. The Cubans lined up as follows for this historic game: Cuba lined up as follows in this clash: #1 Roel Santos, RF (0-for-4, GIDP) #10 Yoán Moncada, 3B (2-for-2, R, BB) #44 Dayán García, 3B (0-for-1) #88 Luis Robert, CF (0-for-2, BB) #27 Yurisbel Gracial, LF (1-for-1) #54 Alfredo Despaigne, DH (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI) #7 Yoelkis Guibert, RF (0-for-1) #52 Yoennis Céspedes, LF (1-for-2, RBI, BB) #16 Lorenzo Quintana, C (1-for-3, GIDP) #40 Ariel Martínez, C (0-for-1) #33 Yadir Drake, 1B (0-for-4, K, GIDP, CS) #77 Andy Ibáñez, 2B (2-for-3, 2B) #8 Yadil Mujica, 2B (0-for-0) #71 Erisbel Arruebarrena, SS (0-for-4, K) #57 Ronald Bolaños, RHP (2.1 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 SO, BB, HBP)

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2022-2023 offseason. A compendium from several sources Ranger' Adolis García wanted to play for Cuba in the 2023 WBC Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis García told the Dallas Morning News that he was interested in representing Cuba in the World Baseball Classic. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that Adolis was approached by the Cuban Federation to compete for Team Cuba at the World Baseball Classic. However, it didn't work out. As much as Adolis wanted to play, he did not have enough time to leave the Rangers camp for more than two weeks, despite his desire to do so. The interest was mutual and had nothing to do with issues with the Cuban national team or playing time. It was in 2016 that Adolis made his professional baseball debut for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan. During the same year, he left Cuba. His MLB debut came in 2018 after signing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. In early 2019, the Rangers acquired him for cash considerations. He was named as a reserve for the American League in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game after spending some time in the minor leagues, including being designated for assignment. As a rookie in 2021, he batted .243/.286/.454 and led all rookies with 90 RBIs. In addition, he hit 31 home runs. With 27 home runs, 101 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases last season, Adolis slashed .250/.300/.456. Last season, he was one of two Rangers with at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases. Marcus Semien was the other. Tigers' Andy Ibáñez: Vying for reserve role MLive.com's Evan Woodbery reports that Ibáñez is in the running for a reserve position on Detroit's Opening Day roster. In November, Detroit claimed Ibáñez off waivers and outrighted him to Triple-A Toledo. Last season, the 29-year-old played in 40 games for the Rangers, slashing .218/.273/.277. Despite the fact that it sounds like he may make the MLB roster, he is unlikely to have a prominent role with the Tigers. Ibáñez has committed to playing for Cuba in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and other Cuban Players News for the 2022-2023 offseason. A compendium from several sources The White Sox's Luis Robert declares himself healthy for spring According to James Fegan of The Athletic, Robert is fully healthy for spring training and is already in game-ready shape for the World Baseball Classic. "I didn't alter my workload in the offseason because of what happened last year," Robert said. "I did what I did during this offseason for myself. I did it because I wanted to feel better coming into spring training, instead of what it used to be, that I came to a spring game feeling a little cold, not completely ready." Even though Robert played 98 games and played 401 plate appearances in 2022, he struggled with health issues for a second straight season. COVID-19, blurred vision, a groin injury, and a jammed left wrist kept him out for the final two weeks of the season. As a result of the time he missed, the 25-year-old took part in more on-field, baseball-specific activities this offseason, as opposed to previous winters when he mainly lifted weights and hit in the cage. It will be vital for Robert to stay healthy in order to achieve his immense potential, but he's already demonstrated a five-tool skill set multiple times throughout his young career. Despite Robert's medical history, the upside could be immense if he has a season of over 600 plate appearances. Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Nursing another case of hand soreness As reported by Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, Alvarez is unable to swing a bat due to soreness in his left hand. Last season, Alvarez dealt with lingering soreness in both hands off and on, even being placed on the injured list in the late part of the season (right hand inflammation). Despite expecting to resume swinging a bat within a couple days, it's disappointing to hear that his hand is already bothering him again. Dodgers' Miguel Vargas: Suffers hairline fracture to pinky Vargas suffered a hairline fracture to his right pinky finger, and he won't be swinging the bat for a few days, according to Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided more clarity on Vargas' pinky injury when he met with the media following the Dodgers' workout on Monday. Vargas suffered the injury while fielding a grounder earlier on Monday. Even though Vargas' injury isn't ideal, he can still participate in fielding drills over the next few days. This should help him get a job at second base before Opening Day. Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports the Dodgers don't know when Vargas will resume swinging, but Roberts suggested Vargas' pain tolerance may play a role. The Rays' Yandy Díaz is committing to first base as his primary position Rays manager Kevin Cash told Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network on Monday that Diaz will play a lot of first base this season. Despite playing a lot more third base (102 games) last season than first base (17 games), Díaz has plenty of experience at the position. Due to Ji-Man Choi's departure, Díaz is now expected to play a greater number of first-base games. At third base, there will be competition between Isaac Paredes and Jonathan Aranda.

After terrific relief work by Naykel Cruz, Luis Vicente Mateo delivered the decisive hit After losing its first practice match to the Nippon-Ham Fighters on February 17, the Cuban national team partially recovered this Sunday morning when it beat the Chunichi Dragons of the Central League of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) League in Okinawa, 3-2. Box score In these preliminary matches for the V World Baseball Classic, Cuba now has a 1-1 record, and next will face the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the NPB on February 20 at 10:30 pm (ET). The Cubans opened up a 1-0 lead in the first inning against right-handed starter Hiroshi Suzuki, who pitched five excellent innings, allowing just five hits, one earned run, one walk, and one strikeout. With one out, Yoelkis Guibert hit a double to center field. Yurisbel Gracial moved him to third on a groundout by the shortstop, while Alfredo Despaigne drove in the run with a single behind the shortstop's position. After Yadir Drake walked, Cuba could have extended its lead, but Dayán Garca grounded out to shortstop with runners on second and first. Cuba threatened Suzuki in the second inning when Roel Santos singled to center and Guibert followed with an infield single. However, Gracial hit into a double play, while Despaigne grounded out to shortstop for the third out. Cuban pitching this time had a different face. During the first three innings, Carlos Juan Viera did a good job, partly due to his defense, especially catcher Ariel Martinez, who initially slowed Chunichi's speed game. As a result of an error by third baseman Gracial and a single to the right of third base, Viera had runners on the corners with only one out in the first inning. It was catcher Ariel Martinez who made a great throw to second. This put out the runner from first trying to steal, and then the Cuban starter struck out the next batter to end the threat. During that first inning Viera threw 16 pitches, but only four were outside the strike zone. The Japanese team began the third inning with a runner on first via a single to center. However, in an inning where the Japanese should have tied the game, the runner was put out by another stellar throw from the Cuban catcher to second base García. A couple of batters later, Viera would accept a double to deep center, but he would force a ground out to Drake at first base to finish the inning. As the right-hander left the mound at the end of the third inning, he had thrown 36 pitches, including 25 strikes, and finished his job with two strikeouts and three hits, including a double, but no walks in a competent performance. Despite issuing a walk, Liván Moinelo followed Viera on the mound in the fourth inning. Right-hander Marlon Vega faced no difficulty despite getting a batter on base in the fifth, but an inning later he would not have the same luck. In that inning, Vega could only get one out of the five men he faced due to a lack of control. Tanaka started the inning with a single to right, moving to second on a steal. A single by Fukunaga put runners at the corners. Vega retired the next batter after hitting a line drive to García at second. However, a walk to the next man loaded the bases. Another walk forced the tying run, sending Vega back to the bench, as Ukai's sacrifice to left field drove in the 2-1 lead against left-handed reliever Naykel Cruz. Cruz saved the inning by retiring the last batter on a flyout to left. From that moment on, the young Cuban reliever became a true bulwark, retiring six batters in a row with a strikeout, as well as being assisted by his defense. In the seventh inning, shortstop Mateo stopped a ball that threatened to enter center field for the second out of the inning. In the eighth, Yoelkis Guibert made a terrific fielding catch in right center field for the second out of the inning. Cruz earned the victory for his work. Cuba responded by tying the game in the top of the seventh against right-handed reliever Hiroto Mori. Yadir Drake started the inning with a long double off the bottom of the center field fence. He moved to third with a groundout, but Ariel Marítnez did a great job getting a deep ball in left field to drive in Drake from third. The national team made a threat against Fukushima in the top of the eighth inning. Mateo started the inning with a single and a sacrifice bunt by Santos put him at second. After Guibert had given up the second out, a walk to Gracial had everything ready for Despaigne. But the Cuban cleanup hitter gave up the third out on a soft groundball to the catcher who completed the play with a throw at first. In the ninth episode, the game was decided. With one out in the inning, Dayán García singled to center against right-hander Kento Fujishima, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and when pinch-hitter Andrys Pérez gave up the second out, another pinch-hitter, Yadil Mujica, walked. The scene was set for Mateo's single to left that brought home García with the decisive run. As Franklyn Quintana closed the ninth inning, he quickly found himself in trouble accepting a hit from the first batter. Minutes later, Chunichi's speed got the runner on second after a defensive blink from the Cuban catcher with no outs. But in the end, Quintana didn't blink. He earned the save by striking out the next two batters with his breaking ball and retiring Ryuku on a groundout to first baseman Drake. The Cuban line-up for this game was as follows: #1 Roel Santos, CF (1-for-4, SH) #7 Yoelkis Guibert, RF (2-for-4, 2B, R) #27 Yurisbel Gracial, 3B (0-for-3, GIDP, BB) #54 Alfredo Despaigne, DH (1-for-4, RBI) #33 Yadir Drake, 1B (1-for-4, 2B, R) #44 Dayán García, 2B (1-for-4, R) #40 Ariel Martínez, C (0-for-2, SO, SF, RBI) #17 Andrys Pérez, PH (0-for-1) #15 Guillermo García, LF (1-for-3) #5 Yadil Mujica, PH (BB) #8 Luis V. Mateo, SS (2-for-4, RBI) #83 Carlos J. Viera, L (3.0 IP, 3 H, 2B, 2 SO, 0 BB) In an interview with the Cuban digital newspaper Jit, mentor Armando Johnson made the following remarks.