March 6, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Mexican first baseman Jonathan Aranda (8) is cheering with right fielder Jaren Duran (16). He hit a home run in the 8th inning against England at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Yoelkis Gilbert and Yoan Moncada homered in the first three innings to lead Cuba to a 3-1 win in both teams’ Pool A opener of the World Baseball Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Friday against Panama.
Ariel Martinez added two hits for Cuba, who had just two at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Johan Camargo scored Panama’s only run with a hit in the seventh. Leonard Bernal (2-for-4) was the only player on the team to have multiple hits and a run scored.
Livan Moinelo started and earned the win, striking out four and allowing no runs over 3 2/3 innings. Raidel Martinez went 1-2-3 with the save. Logan Allen allowed three runs and five hits in three innings in the loss to Panama.
Venezuela 6, Netherlands 2
Wilson Contreras’ two-run single highlighted a four-run fifth inning that proved the difference between Venezuela and the Netherlands in their Pool D opener in Miami.
Venezuela’s Javier Sanoja hit a home run, also got two RBIs from Willier Abreu, and two runs and a double from leadoff man Ronald Acuna Jr. Ranger Suarez earned the win, allowing three hits and one run in two innings.
Drew Jones, son of soon-to-be Hall of Famer Andrew Jones, accounted for all of Holland’s RBIs with a run-scoring double and sacrifice fly. Antwon Kelly was the losing pitcher, allowing 2 runs and 4 hits in 3 innings.
Mexico 8, UK 2
Jonathan Aranda homered to spark a late rally that helped Mexico escape England by allowing seven runs in the final two innings in its Group B opener in Houston.
Aranda had two hits and three RBI for Mexico, along with a home run from Nacho Alvarez Jr. and a two-run hit from Alek Thomas. Javier Assad (3 2/3 IP, 0R, 2H, 2K) was excellent as a starter, but Robert Garcia earned the win with a scoreless seventh inning.
Harry Ford ignited the British team with two hits, including a solo home run in the sixth inning, tying the game at 1-1. Trayce Thompson added an RBI double in the ninth. Gary Gill Hill took the loss, allowing the first two points of Mexico’s 3-pointer in the eighth. He struck out, walked two and went no-hit through 1 2/3 innings.
–Field level media
