Cuba eliminates Australia to advance to World Baseball Classic semifinals

TOKYO — Cuba superior to the World Baseball Classic semifinals for the primary time since 2006 with a 4-3 win over Australia on Wednesday night time as Alfredo Despaigne hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly and Yoelkis Guibert adopted with a two-run single in three-run fifth inning.

Using present main leaguers for the primary time on the WBC, Cuba performs on Sunday in Miami in opposition to the winner of a quarterfinal between Venezuela and the second-place crew from Group C: Canada, Colombia, Mexico or the U.S.

Former Philadelphia Phillies prospect Rixon Wingrove, who led Australia with seven RBIs within the event, hit a go-ahead RBI single within the second and had a two-run homer within the sixth off the Chicago Cubs’ Roenis Elías. Australia bought two on later within the sixth earlier than Elías retired Milwaukee Brewers prospect Alex Hall on a flyout.

Elías pitched an ideal seventh, Liván Moinelo labored round a pair of walks in a hitless eighth by placing out Ulrich Bojarski and retiring Tim Kennelly on an inning-ending flyout. Raidel Martinez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save, placing out Darryl George on the eighth pitch of the at-bat for the ultimate out.

Before a crowd of 35,061 on the Tokyo Dome, Luis Robert tied the rating for Cuba with a run-scoring groundout within the third.

Cuba, which misplaced the 2006 last to Japan, had been eradicated within the second spherical of the earlier three WBCs. The Cubans received their third straight sport on this event after shedding their first two.

Australia superior previous the group stage for the primary time.

Yoán Moncada of the Chicago White Sox had two hits and two walks, and is hitting .421 with 5 RBIs. Moncada sparked the third with a one-out double off Mitch Neunborn, who had walked Roel Santos main off.

Winner Miguel Romero, the second of 5 Cuban pitchers, allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Santos singled main off the fifth in opposition to loser Josh Guyer, who walked Moncada. Sam Holland walked Robert, and Cuba went forward on the sacrifice fly by Despaigne, who’s hitting .412 (7 for 17) with 4 RBIs. The 36-year-old outfielder and designated hitter is a fan favorite in Japan after taking part in for the Pacific League’s Chiba Lotte Marines from 2014-16 and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks from 2017 by means of final season.