Puerto Rico tops Cuba to secure second-round berth.

By THE STAR STAFF

Puerto Rico defeated Cuba 4–1 on Monday to secure its place in the second round of the World Baseball Classic at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

With the win, Puerto Rico remains the only undefeated team in Group A with a 3–0 record, while Cuba now stands at 2–1.

A double by Martín “Machete” Maldonado that drove in three runs put the game in Puerto Rico’s favor starting in the second inning. The hit lined down the left-field line with one out on the board, followed by singles by Darell Hernaiz and Emmanuel “Pulpo” Rivera, along with a walk drawn by MJ Meléndez.

With the bases cleared, Maldonado was cheered by the crowd and celebrated from second base.

Puerto Rico relied on a strong performance from six pitchers, led by starter Elmer Rodríguez, who worked three scoreless innings with three strikeouts, one hit allowed, and three walks. The Cuban offense was limited to just two hits in the game.

In relief, Jovani Morán, Yacksel Ríos, Fernando Cruz, and Edwin “Sugar” Díaz took the mound, with Díaz handling the ninth inning to record the save. The final frame was accompanied by the sound of trumpets in the stadium and ended with two strikeouts by the star closer.

Puerto Rico added another run in the fifth inning when Carlos Cortés hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Heliot Ramos to score from third base.

Cuba’s only run came in the sixth inning on a double by Alfredo Despaigne. Left-hander Julio Robaina took the loss for Cuba after allowing three runs in 1.1 innings of work.

Puerto Rico closed the first round last night against Canada. Today, Wednesday, the team will travel to Houston, Texas, where it will compete in the second phase of the international tournament.