Yoán Moncada and Yoelquis Guibert homered off Logan Allen at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Cuba won its WBC opener for the first time since 2013 with a 3-1 victory over Panama.
Cuba, which lost the 2006 final to Japan and a 2023 semifinal to the U.S., is missing many top Cuban-born players, including Aroldis Chapman, Randy Arozarena and Luis Robert Jr.
Guibert went deep on a high 2-0 fastball in the second and Moncada one inning later pulled a 3-1 sweeper at the bottom of the strike zone for his first home run off a left-hander since Sept. 28, 2023, off Arizona’s Kyle Nelson.
Yoán Moncada adds on for Team Cuba with a two-run homer! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/VefJILOjy4
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 6, 2026
Panama’s Johan Camargo had an RBI single in the seventh against Emmanuel Chapman and, with runners at the corners, Darien Núñez retired Christian Bethancourt on an inning-ending groundout.
Allen, a Florida native whose mother was born in Panama, allowed three runs and five hits in three innings, taking the loss. Winner Livan Moinelo gave up two hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Cuba did not have a baserunner after the fifth. Raidel Martinez got three straight outs for the save.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
