World Baseball Classic: Italy 4, Cuba 2
While the Japanese club solidified its image as Group favorites, the same decidedly cannot be said of Cuba, a favorite to advance out of the Chinese Taipei bracket.
For the second consecutive day, the Cubans were upset, this time by Italy in a 6-3 extra-inning game.
The defeat came on the heels of Cuba’s lackluster showing in a 4-2 loss to Netherlands in the Wednesday tournament opener.
Three 10th-inning base hits broke the 2-2 tie in regulation and gave Italy an inside track at being one of the two teams that will advance out of the Taipei Group.
Cuba made a final desperation run at a comeback when Luis Robert’s 10th-inning single drove in Yoelkis Guibert, who started the inning at second base. That, however, was the extent of the Cuban comeback.
The underdog Italians got a big boost when starter Matt Harvey delivered three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Italy broke the scoreless deadlock with three sixth-inning singles capped by Brett Sullivan’s sacrifice fly. Miles Mastrobuoni’s seventh-inning double made it 2-0.
Cuba’s hopes rose briefly when Erisbel Arrubarrena singled home Alfredo Despaigne to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth.
The Cuban offense generated only seven hits. Their top two stars (White Sox regulars Yoan Moncada and Robert) produced just Robert’s 10th-inning single one single in 10 plate appearances Thursday.