2023 World Baseball Classic knockout stage
Cuba broke the tie in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs: one off an Alfredo Despaigne sac fly, and two off a Yoelkis Guibert single.
Mitchell Stumpo struck out the side in the eighth for Italy, and Taisei Ota earned the save for Japan.
Mexico began a rally in the fifth when Alek Thomas and Austin Barnes hit back-to-back singles off Stroman.
in the eighth, Puerto Rico nearly tied the game when Rivera hit a long ball to center field with a runner on first.
However, Arozarena made a leaping catch against the wall to get Rivera out and rob Puerto Rico of the run.
Martín Pérez was replaced with José Ruiz, who retired Tim Anderson and Kyle Schwarber to end the inning.
In the fourth, Schwarber scored on a Mookie Betts sac fly to extend Team USA's lead by one.
United States pitcher Daniel Bard threw a wild pitch to allow Gleyber Torres to score.
The next batter, Salvador Pérez, doubled to right field, scoring pinch runner Luis Rengifo and tying the game at five.
Team USA started off the eighth inning down by two runs as José Quijada walked Anderson with no outs.
On an 0–2 count, Turner hit a grand slam to left field, giving the United States a two-run lead.
Closer Ryan Pressly retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth to propel Team USA to the semifinals.
[13] This marked the Cuban national team's first appearance in Miami since early in Fidel Castro's reign, dating back an estimated 60 years.
The appearance of the team in Miami, which has the highest concentration of Cuban-Americans (mostly Cuban immigrants or their descendants) in the United States, caused a protest to occur outside the stadium.
Anti-government sentiment also occurred inside the stadium, as Yoán Moncada and Luis Robert Jr., the first active MLB players to ever play for the Cuban national team, were booed.
While Moncada batted in the fifth inning, a fan with a sign demanding justice for demonstrators imprisoned during the 2021 Cuban protests ran onto the field.
In the bottom of the inning, Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer after a Mookie Betts double to give the US the lead.
Team USA scored two more in the bottom of the fourth on a Pete Alonso single and a Tim Anderson sacrifice fly.
Turner hit his second home run of the game in the sixth – a three-run shot off Leyva to give the US a commanding ten-run lead.
In the eighth, Cedric Mullins hit a solo homer to complete the 14–2 blowout victory for the United States.
Japan threatened in the bottom of the inning when Kensuke Kondo and Masataka Yoshida singled, but failed to capitalize.
His replacement, José Urquidy, walked Lars Nootbaar to load the bases, but Japan failed to score.
In the bottom of the eighth, Mexico's Jesús Cruz hit Kazuma Okamoto with a pitch and then gave up a single to Yamada.
The next batter was Hotaka Yamakawa, who hit a sac fly to left field to score pinch runner Takumu Nakano.
After a mound visit, Gallegos walked Yoshida (Ukyo Shuto pinch ran), bringing Munetaka Murakami to the plate.
