Cuba, Japan reach WBC second round
Source: Agencies |
March 5, 2013, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CUBA overwhelmed China 12-0 in the World Baseball Classic in Japan yesterday to go into the second round of the tournament, joining fellow two-time champion Japan.
Both teams notched up two wins with no defeats in the four-team Pool A round robin, securing the top spots ahead of China and Brazil, who lost two each.
Infielder Jose Abreu drove in five runs, including a grand slam in the fifth inning, at Fukuoka Dome. The game was called under the tournament's mercy rule after the seventh inning.
Throughout the game, Cuba displayed the type of firepower that makes it one of the title contenders.
"We're very happy to have two wins from two games," Cuba manager Victor Mesa said. "But we are not 100 percent yet, we have some minor issues and I feel we are lacking something but we are happy to be 2-0."
Alexei Bell hit a towering two-run homer to left to make it 4-0 in the fourth and Alfredo Despaigne put the result beyond doubt in the same inning when he doubled on a sharp ground ball to left, scoring Jose Fernandez and Frederich Cepeda to make it 6-0. Fernandez singled in two more runs in the fifth before Abreu's grand slam.
"We knew it was going to be a difficult game because Cuba is so good," China manager John McLaren said. "They are so powerful and we had limited pitching today. I see a lot of major league talent on that Cuban team."
Cuba starter Danny Betancourt picked up the win after striking out eight and giving up only one hit in 4-2/3 innings. China starter Li Xin gave up five runs on eight hits over 3-1/3 innings to take the loss.
Cuba and Japan will join two teams from Pool B in which the Netherlands, Australia, Taiwan and South Korea are fighting for second-round places.
The Koreans blanked Australia 6-0 yesterday in Taichung, central Taiwan.
Both teams notched up two wins with no defeats in the four-team Pool A round robin, securing the top spots ahead of China and Brazil, who lost two each.
Infielder Jose Abreu drove in five runs, including a grand slam in the fifth inning, at Fukuoka Dome. The game was called under the tournament's mercy rule after the seventh inning.
Throughout the game, Cuba displayed the type of firepower that makes it one of the title contenders.
"We're very happy to have two wins from two games," Cuba manager Victor Mesa said. "But we are not 100 percent yet, we have some minor issues and I feel we are lacking something but we are happy to be 2-0."
Alexei Bell hit a towering two-run homer to left to make it 4-0 in the fourth and Alfredo Despaigne put the result beyond doubt in the same inning when he doubled on a sharp ground ball to left, scoring Jose Fernandez and Frederich Cepeda to make it 6-0. Fernandez singled in two more runs in the fifth before Abreu's grand slam.
"We knew it was going to be a difficult game because Cuba is so good," China manager John McLaren said. "They are so powerful and we had limited pitching today. I see a lot of major league talent on that Cuban team."
Cuba starter Danny Betancourt picked up the win after striking out eight and giving up only one hit in 4-2/3 innings. China starter Li Xin gave up five runs on eight hits over 3-1/3 innings to take the loss.
Cuba and Japan will join two teams from Pool B in which the Netherlands, Australia, Taiwan and South Korea are fighting for second-round places.
The Koreans blanked Australia 6-0 yesterday in Taichung, central Taiwan.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
