USA blasts Cuba, Mookie Betts keeps hitting the ball hard

Mar 20, 2023 - 2:38 AM

Team USA poured on the offense, scoring in each of the first six innings to rout Cuba 14-2 on Sunday night at loanDepot Park in Miami, advancing to its second consecutive World Baseball Classic championship game.

Trea Turner, whose grand slam against Venezuela was the game-winner on Saturday, homered again on Sunday, twice, part of his three-hit game, and drove in four. Paul Goldschmidt homered and also drove in four runs.

Mookie Betts doubled in the first inning and scored on Goldschmidt’s homer, then singled in the third and sixth. Betts batted six times on Sunday, and hit four balls with at least a 98-mph exit velocity, continuing a trend for the rightfielder.

He’s averaging a 93.8-mph exit velocity through six games in the World Baseball Classic, and over the last three games he’s been hitting the hell out of the ball. Against Colombia, Venezuela, and Cuba, Betts put 15 balls in play. Twelve were considered hard-hit balls (defined as at least 95 mph, per Baseball Savant), and seven had exit velocities of at least 100 mph.

Betts in those three games has a double and five singles. scoring four times.

Betts even got to play second base in this game, moving from right field for the final two innings. It’s his first time in the tournament playing somewhere other than right field.

Will Smith, making his third start for Team USA on Sunday, doubled, walked, scored a run, and drove in another.

The U.S. will play next on Tuesday, awaiting the winner of Monday’s tilt between Mexico and Japan. Both games start at 4 p.m. PT and are televised by FS1.