Havana, October 5 (RHC) – The Cuban U-23 team defeated Mexico 5-4 in the bronze medal match of the Pan American Championship, securing their place in the upcoming Nicaragua 2026 World Cup.
Under the direction of Olympic champion Danny Miranda, the Cuban squad couldn’t challenge for a spot at the top of the podium after losing in the semifinals to the Panamanian hosts on Friday, but they achieved their biggest goal of the baseball tournament.
In the fourth inning, the Mexicans hit their first hit of the game after being dominated by starter José Ignacio Bermúdez and didn’t stop until they scored four runs.
A sacrifice fly by Elvin Carrillo, a single by Manuel Alejandro Urias that drove in two teammates, and an RBI single by Manuel Saucedo completed the package.
Pitcher Sergio Meléndez kept the plate doors closed for four innings, but his replacement, Miguel Ángel León, allowed the first run for the Cubans in the fifth inning, driven in by a double by Cristian Rodríguez.
When it was time to pick up the bats, the team from the largest island in the Caribbean mutinied, and with a double by Raidel Sánchez that cleared the crowded corners, off a pitch by rescuer José Manuel Soria, they tied the score.
The decisive pitch came in the extra inning, when the Cubans scored once against the defeated Fausto Hernández, thanks to a sacrifice fly by Yunieski Remón.
Yuniel Batista took care of the rest, recording the final three outs of the game to earn the important victory.
