Team USA Advances to the World Baseball Classic Final

Team USA has punched their ticket to the World Baseball Classic final after a dominating 14-2 victory over Cuba in the semifinals. Although Team USA started the game uncertain about starter Adam Wainwright’s performance, things changed in the bottom half of the first inning when Paul Goldschmidt hit a moonshot home run, the highlight of an offensive explosion.

Cuba had a tough ask against a murderer’s row American lineup that was hitting on all cylinders. Goldschmidt’s homer was one of four that the USA would rocket on Sunday, with two of them coming from Trea Turner. Turner’s second shot a three-run shot, put the Americans up by 10 run-ins the sixth.

Although Cuba continued to get men on base, recording 12 hits, they couldn’t match the U.S. talent and skills. Once Wainwright relaxed it was the beginning of the end for Cuba. Team USA has now moved one step closer to a second consecutive World Baseball Classic championship, as they will face the winner of Monday night’s Japan vs. Mexico game in the championship game. A win in the final would make the United States just the second two-time winner of the tournament, joining the likes of 2006 and 2009 Japan teams as the only back-to-back champions in WBC history.