Trea Turner Leads US Past Cuba and Into World Baseball Classic Final

MIAMI — It was a historic night, with the Cuban national baseball team playing in the city with the largest Cuban population in the United States, but the game itself was unable to match the intensity of the moment. Behind its star studded offense, the United States dismantled Cuba, 14-2, at loanDepot Park on Sunday and advanced to the World Baseball Classic final.

Trea Turner, the Philadelphia Phillies shortstop whose grand slam on Saturday propelled the United States to the semifinal, homered twice against Cuba. He drove in four runs in all, as did first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. And Goldschmidt’s St. Louis Cardinals teammate, the starter Adam Wainwright, led the United States pitching staff by allowing one run over four innings.

The United States, which won the W.B.C. when it was last played in 2017, will now face the victor of Monday’s semifinal game between Mexico and Japan. The final will be on Tuesday night.

“I haven’t hit a homer in spring training in like four or five years or something like that,” Turner said, referring to the fact that the W.B.C. occurs during Major League Baseball’s preseason. “So it’s kind of funny how it works out, but I don’t ask questions. I just go up there and hopefully it continues on. We need one more win, so let’s get that.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/20/sports/baseball/united-states-cuba-wbc.html