03-21-06,8:59am
Havana, March 19 (CNA).- Cuba won a place in the finals of the World Baseball Classic by defeating the Dominican Republic 3-1 in semifinals play Saturday at Petco Park in San Diego, California.
The game began with an excellent pitcher's duel between the Dominican ace Bartolo Colon and Cuba's WBC sensation Yadel Marti. Colon went six scoreless
giving up six hits and striking out four without a walk. Marti went four and a third, allowing only three hits, striking out two and walking one.
The Dominicans broke the ice in the bottom of the sixth with two hits against reliever Pedro Luis Lazo and an error by second baseman Yulieski Gourriel that allowed an unearned run.
The lead didn't last long. In the seventh the Cubans came out swinging against relievers Odalis Perez and Salamon Torrez. By the time the dust cleared, they had scored three times with hits by Yulieski Gourriel and pinch hitter Eriel Sanchez, a sacrifice grounder by Frederich Cepeda, an RBI hit by Osmani Urritia and a run scoring sacrifice fly by Alexei Ramirez.
Once again the hard-throwing Lazo grew by the moment to show his best stuff under pressure, just as he had done in the second round game against Venezuela. The 34-year-old right-hander held the Dominicans scoreless on three hits in the last three innings. The game ended on a strikeout to pinch-hitter Alfonso Soriano.
Lazo's greatest challenge came in the eighth. After Placido Polanco led off with a hit, Miguel Tejada flied to center, but Albert Pujos laced a hit that put runners on first and second with one out with home run hitter David Ortiz in the batters box. Lazo dug deep and got Ortiz to hit a fly to short right. Adrian Beltre then hit a liner to left but it was caught by Frederich Cepeda to end the rally.
In the ninth Lazo finished the job. After a hit by Moises Alou he got Willy Mo Pena on a fly to right; Ronnie Belliard rolled to second; and pinch hitter Alfonso Soriano swung at strike three. In all Lazo pitched 4.2 innings giving up five singles and one unearned run.
With the victory, Cuba, against all odds, is the first team to qualify for the finals of the World Baseball Classic. The Dominicans, along with the United States, had been the two favorites to win the tournament but neither will be in the finals.
Manager Higinio Velez and the Cuban team will wait to see which team wins the other semifinal game later Saturday between Japan (3-3) and South Korea (6-0), the only undefeated team in the WBC.
The South Koreans won two pitcher's duels against their Japanese rivals in rounds one and two by 3-2 and 2-1 scores. The winner of tonight's game plays Cuba on Monday evening for the championship.
