Canada advance to World Baseball Classic quarter-finals for first time ever

[p]With the win, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/8dIZ5DLr/"]Canada[/a] (3-1) claimed first place in Pool A, advancing with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/puerto-rico/v7R43VK7/"]Puerto Rico[/a] (3-1) out of the group. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cuba/2JHw5Xzk/"]Cuba[/a] (2-2) has officially been eliminated from the tournament for the first time ever at the Pool stage.[/p][p]Canada's 11 hits marked the most of any game they've played so far, while both teams also combined for five errors - the most of any game in the 2026 World Baseball Classic so far. [/p][embed guid="d1b02980-8435-4dc2-b781-bca3ba62a222" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031857477872984497?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Recap and highlights[/h2][p]The start of the game got a little dicey for Cuba in the top of the first. Starting pitcher [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moinelo-livan/rPC7Hnys/"]Livan Moinelo[/a] would first give up a single to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lopez-otto/SnTH2hrJ/"]Otto Lopez[/a], then a walk to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/naylor-josh/S0h9BoYL/"]Josh Naylor[/a], putting runners on first and second with no outs.[/p][p]Moinelo would strike out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/o-neill-tyler/U7RkymsH/"]Tyler O'Neill[/a] in the next at-bat before he tried to pick off Lopez at third base on an attempted steal. However, Cuba third baseman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moncada-yoan/0rtVZCdn/"]Yoan Moncada[/a] would be called for interference during the rundown, leaving Lopez to advance to third and Naylor to second with one out. [/p][embed guid="6afdd3b8-5a02-4fcd-a2f8-4e06a593593d" url="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/2031813443183841496?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Moinelo would force [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/toro-abraham/0KP6VUR2/"]Abraham Toro[/a] to pop up for the second out for walking [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caissie-owen/CtHuQPY8/"]Owen Cassie[/a] to load the bases with two outs.[/p][p]However, Moinelo would get himself out of the jam after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/davidson-matthew/KpAuAdcQ/"]Matt Davidson[/a] popped out to Moncada to end the inning as Canada failed to take advantage of a great opportunity.[/p][embed guid="d1748ec7-99c3-4e75-9c41-cb9487e16acc" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031814385413276108?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]After only a single from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-ariel/xEhpSi0l/"]Ariel Martinez[/a] (Cuba) in the bottom of the first, and a walk from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/julien-edouard/tYIQJYD2/"]Edouard Julien[/a] (Canada), neither would get anything done until Canada got up to bat in the top of the third inning.[/p][p]Naylor would be forced into a groundout before O'Neill and Toro hit a pair of singles with one out in the inning. Both runners would advance to second and third after a past ball from Moinelo, where Canada wouldn't miss out on another opportunity.[/p][p][b]Cassie hit a sac-fly to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/canada-8dIZ5DLr/cuba-2JHw5Xzk/?mid=OfyNXCHO"]1-0[/a] before Moinelo would get himself out of letting any more damage happen.[/b][/p][embed guid="a5c0fb2c-a585-4294-925e-63f8233f1809" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031822102286958711?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Cuba would go scoreless in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, picking up a lone single from Martinez.[/p][p][b]Canada would strike back once more after Toro crushed a solo home run to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/canada-8dIZ5DLr/cuba-2JHw5Xzk/?mid=OfyNXCHO"]2-0[/a] in the top of the fifth inning.[/b][/p][embed guid="aa1b09ba-b187-49e1-b593-c1f9753a0b44" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031829927880794539?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Cuba didn't have a leadoff hitter get on base until the 5th inning - a walk to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yanqui-yoel/YZ32QQOk/"]Yoel Yanqui[/a] - and it would prove to be worthwhile.[/p][p]Canada starting pitcher [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/quantrill-cal/KG07uwWq/"]Cal Quantrill[/a], who had given up just two hits, committed an error on a wild throw to first in an attempt ot pickoff Yanqui, who'd hustled to third with no outs.[/p][p][b]Quantrill would strike out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cappe-yiddi/xvqkFqyH/"]Yiddi Cappe[/a] for the first out, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guibert-yoelkis/OMv2YgNK/"]Yoelkis Guibert[/a] scored the first run for Cuba to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/canada-8dIZ5DLr/cuba-2JHw5Xzk/?mid=OfyNXCHO"]2-1[/a] with a force out at first on a grounder. [/b][/p][p]Quantrill will finish the inning after striking [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-andrys/dSub38VL/"]Andrys Perez[/a] on a foul tip into the catcher's mitt, ending his final start of the Pool stage - going five innings, giving up one unearned run on two hits with five strikeouts and one walk.[/p][p]The fielding errors would strike Cuba in the top of the sixth. After a Cappe dropped ball, relief pitcher [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-yariel/p0ihmgxE/"]Yariel Rodríguez[/a] would throw one in the dirt that skipped away, allowing Canadian baserunner Matt Davidson to advance from first to third with no outs. [/p][p][b]On the very next pitch, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-eduardo/OEdFeZph/"]Rodriguez[/a] laid a fastball right down main street for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/naylor-bo/SldMq89g/"]Bo Naylor[/a] to drill into deep right field for a double to bring Davidson home, making it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/canada-8dIZ5DLr/cuba-2JHw5Xzk/?mid=OfyNXCHO"]3-1[/a].[/b][/p][embed guid="1a39e4a1-fd49-4168-8509-199312a2435f" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031836048074956944?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The fielding errors would continue for Cuba, this time by Perez (catcher), allowing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clarke-denzel/vVkLQEej/"]Denzel Clarke[/a], who struck out, to advance to first, while Bo advanced to third with no outs. [/p][p][b]Clarke would steal second before an Edouard Julien strikeout. Then, Otto Lopez would drill a two-run single to bring in both Clarke and Bo home, extending the lead to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/canada-8dIZ5DLr/cuba-2JHw5Xzk/?mid=OfyNXCHO"]5-1[/a].[/b][/p][embed guid="64e8d49d-a509-4339-9efe-873e07a4bbf7" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031837971855372296?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Things would get close in the bottom of the sixth inning as it looked like Cuba was about to go on a serious rally. Following a walk by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/santos-roel/fZtStiFs/"]Roel Santos[/a], Moncada got on board with his first and only double of the tournament, putting both on second and third with one out.[/p][p][b]Martinez would prove clutch and brought Santos home on an RBI single to right field to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/canada-8dIZ5DLr/cuba-2JHw5Xzk/?mid=OfyNXCHO"]5-2[/a]. [/b][/p][p]Yoel Yanqui walked following an [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/despaigne-alfredo/hGXJ4AwL/"]Alfredo Despaigne[/a] strikeout to load the bases with two outs. With a perfect opportunity in front of him, Cappe couldn't get anything done as Canada reliever [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/macko-adam/U9qXZKaQ/"]Adam Macko[/a] would strike him out to end the inning. [/p][embed guid="f390ec38-3890-4a9b-b7f5-77118209fdd3" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031843584157032784?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The opportunities would continue for Cuba after bad play in the field. Roel Santos would reach first on a single, thanks to a throwing error that let [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hernandez-omar/EuKcu2QB/"]Omar Hernandez[/a] advance to third with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arruebarrena-erisbel/bTx4n6NC/"]Erisbel Arruebarrena[/a] would come in to pinch hit for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vargas-alexander/Ai9h9Thb/"]Alexander Vargas[/a] to face former MLB reliever [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paxton-james/rsMA26e9/"]James Paxton[/a]. But the veteran pitcher would send him down on strikes with a fastball high in the zone for the second out, leaving Moncada to be the final hope of the inning. [/p][p]But Paxton would make quick work of the Cuban infielder on three-straight fastballs to bring the inning to an end.[/p][p][b]With two outs in the top of the eighth, and what was looking like an inning to stall damage for Cuba, Josh Naylor would hit a single to left field that Martinez couldn't come up with the diving catch, allowing Lopez to score from first to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/canada-8dIZ5DLr/cuba-2JHw5Xzk/?mid=OfyNXCHO"]6-2[/a].[/b][/p][embed guid="d69b2f3b-c6f9-419b-8346-8b6cb517f8a6" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031851175276880119?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Even in the top of the ninth inning, Canada would continue to pour it on after Cuba committed another fielding blunder, letting a pop fly fall that allowed Toro to reach second on a double. [/p][p][b]Cassie would single on a grounder to right field to bring Toro home to make it 7-2. His nine RBI are now the most by a Canadian player in their country's history at the World Baseball Classic and he's just getting started. [/b][/p][p]Cuba's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nunez-malcom/WIsGAS4h/"]Malcom Nunez[/a] would make his first at-bat of the tournament in the bottom of the ninth, but Paxton would strike him out as quickly as he got up to the batter's box.[/p][p]Cuba couldn't do anything in the bottom of the ninth inning, as their time at the WBC officially came to an end. [/p][embed guid="a0e7602a-985a-49b6-94b5-e92553664611" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031854308401041627?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]