Venezuela wins loud in U-23 Baseball World Cup Super Round debut

With the final stage of the U-23 Baseball World Cup just days away, Venezuela’s offense is in top gear. Every batter in Venezuela’s lineup notched at least one hit led by three for leadoff hitter Carlos Rodríguez, who homered and doubled, as the world’s No. 10 run-ruled No. 11 Cuba, 11-0 in 5 innings, on the first day of the Super Round at Estadio Sonora.

Rodríguez belted a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first to signal what type of day it would be for his team. Venezuela scored in each of its five innings at the plate, adding another run in the first and four in the second, the team’s biggest frame highlighted by a two-run homer to center from Romer Cuadrado.

Following an RBI double by Antonio Pinero and a run-scoring single by Rodríguez in the third, Justin López doubled to plate a run in the fourth and make it a 9-0 game. That set the stage for the fifth when Juan Fernández put the exclamation point on his team’s victory with a two-run homer to left-center to end the contest.

Venezuela racked up 15 hits with five players notching multi-hit games and five driving in multiple runs.

On the mound, Jesús Vargas did all the work for his team, blanking Cuba over five innings to earn the victory and give Venezuela’s bullpen a second straight day of rest after having Tuesday off from action. Vargas scattered five hits allowed and struck out five without walking a batter, throwing 51 strikes in 73 pitches.

On Thursday, Venezuela and Cuba move on to the second day of the Super Round when Cuba faces Colombia at 10:30 and Venezuela matches up with host Mexico from 19:30.