Cuba, Canada advance

Complete Coverage of the Americas Olympic Qualifier

By Eric Edwards
November 9, 2003

PANAMA CITY, Panama--For five innings Cuba appeared headed into the same black hole that had sucked in Team USA the day before. But the Cubans quickly put the baseball universe back in order in the sixth, solving a Brazilian puzzled named Kleber Tomita.

Yulieski Gourriel and Frederich Cepeda connected on a pair of two-run home runs Saturday before Tomita could retire a batter in the sixth, leading Cuba to a 5-0 victory and a Sunday afternoon rematch in the semifinals of the Americas' Olympic qualifier against Puerto Rico.

That game will feature a reprisal of the pitching match-up from the two teams' first meeting. Righthander Vichoandry Odelin, who allowed just three hits and two runs over eighth innings the first time against Puerto Rico, will face righthander Jose Matos (Mariners). The winner will get one of the two spots at stake here for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

The other semifinal will feature two of the large nations in North America, but neither of them will be the United States. Mexico, which upset the U.S. on Friday, will play Canada, which again used a potent offense to power past Colombia 14-6.

Cuba has yet to lose in the qualifier, though Matos went six innings against it last time. He pitched well before giving up a sixth-inning home run by Ariel Pestano that proved the difference. He finished having allowed eight hits and four runs.

Cuban manager Higinio Velez said seeing Matos a second time would be an advantage for his team.

'The more you see a pitcher, the more of an advantage the hitters have,' said Velez.

Matos claimed Saturday to know what adjustments will work against the Cubans.

"I learned a lot about them the first time," said Matos. "I was pitching them away and learned that they like to go the opposite way. This time, I'll be working the inside part of the plate a lot more."

That's exactly what to Tomita did so effectively for five innings. He would bust his mid-80s fastball inside and throw his changeup and slider away. Cuba managed just three hits and hardly sniffed a rally until Michel Enriquez opened the sixth with a single. Gourriel, 19, then launched the first pitch he saw from Tomita over the left-field fence for a 2-0 lead.

Eriel Sanchez followed with another single and Cepeda crushed an opposite-field blast, effectively ending Brazil's aspirations.

"They say the sixth inning is when you start to figure out the opposing pitcher," said Velez. "The third time through the lineup you get more comfortable. That's what happened for us."

Cuba added a run in the seventh when shortstop Eduardo Paret reached base on an error by Brazilian shortstop Marcelo Okuyama and scored on a double by Enriquez.

Cuban starter Norge Vera was virtually untouchable, striking out seven over seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits. Brazil only twice managed to put runners in scoring position, looking otherwise overmatched against Vera.

"Cuba has the best pitchers in the world. It was impossible for us to get anything going against Vera. He was too good," said Brazilian manager Mitsuyishi Sato.

Canada Wobbles, Recovers

First baseman Justin Morneau (Twins) hit two home runs Saturday, his third and fourth homers of the tournament, as Canada survived a five-run fifth inning to beat Colombia 14-6 and advance to the semifinals. With a victory over Mexico today, Canada will qualify for the Olympics for the first time since baseball became a medal sport.

Canada's offense has been the highest-scoring unit in the tournament, with 32 runs in four games. Only a 7-2 loss to Cuba has dented the Canadians' offense, which has had Morneau leading the way. Canada took a 7-1 lead through three innings with three in the second and four in the third. Shortstop Kevin Nicholson (Pirates), atoning for an error that helped Colombia plate its first run, and outfielder Jeremy Ware (Expos) doubled off Rafael Rojano for the second inning's key hits, while Morneau and Todd Betts added hits in the four-run third.

Colombia pulled within a run, however, with a five-run fifth inning uprising off righthander Mike Meyers (Cubs). Alvaro Zambrano opened with a hit and Carlos Ortega doubled. Guaride Puello drove both home. Edinson de Avila then drove in Puello, and Llamas doubled to bring de Avila home.

Chris Begg (Tigers) relieved Meyers in the sixth. In the meantime, Canada's bats answered, with Morneau crushing a three-run homer to score Stubby Clapp (Braves) and Pete LaForest (Devil Rays), making it 10-6. Canada used the long ball again to extend the lead to the final margin, as Ryan Radmanovich homered in the seventh inning, while Morneau and Adam Stern (Braves) went yard in the eighth.

It's Morneau's second multi-homer game in four contests of the tournament. He also hit two home runs against Puerto Rico in an 8-5, 11-inning Canadian win in the qualifying opener.

Canada pounded out 16 hits in the victory and now will most likely use righthander Mike Johnson, who started Nov. 4 and beat Mexico 8-2. Canada also has other fresh arms, starting with Detroit Tigers righthander Chris Mears, the team's lone current big league pitcher. It also could use righthanders Shawn Hill (Expos) and John Ogiltree (Blue Jays).