Guadalajara: Even if it isn't quite the "Miracle on Grass," it's still a victory over Cuba, and it's still a big deal for the US baseball team.
The United States upset its biggest rival 12-10 on Monday in the baseball semi-finals at the Pan American Games, knocking the 10-time defending champion off the top of the medal podium for the first time since 1967.
"This is the fifth time I've played Cuba, and we finally beat them," said US shortstop Jordy Mercer, who doubled in two runs in the fourth inning. "I told the guys that Cuba will never give up and to keep battling, and sure enough they came back. It's just a credit to this team that we kept fighting."
Cuba has dominated baseball at the quadrennial games since the first tournament in 1951. It has won 12 of the 15 titles, including every one between 1971 and 2007. The United States, which beat the Cubans to win the gold in 1967, has finished second to Cuba eight times.
"I thought Saturday's game against Mexico was one of my top baseball moments all-time, but this game just jumped ahead," Mercer said, comparing Monday's game to the tight 3-2 loss to the host country in front of a raucous crowd.
Although the baseball victory didn't add to the gold medal tally, the United States still won five more titles on Day 10 of the Pan American Games to bring its leading total to 62 gold and 165 overall.
Other results
The US won the women's team all-around in gymnastics for the 14th time, while Jordan Burroughs took gold in the men's 74kg freestyle wrestling category and Jacob Varner won the 96kg class. Weston Kelsey later won the men's epee and Lee Kiefer won the women's individual foil.
But those golds weren't as surprising as Monday's baseball victory.
The Americans cranked out 11 hits, and everyone in the lineup got at least one in Lagos de Moreno. Jordan Danks and Brett Carroll were the only players with two hits.
The US took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third when Jim Gallagher doubled in two runs. The Americans scored five more in the fourth and stretched their lead to 12-2 by the fifth. They then held on as the Cubans chipped away.
The United States upset its biggest rival 12-10 on Monday in the baseball semi-finals at the Pan American Games, knocking the 10-time defending champion off the top of the medal podium for the first time since 1967.
"This is the fifth time I've played Cuba, and we finally beat them," said US shortstop Jordy Mercer, who doubled in two runs in the fourth inning. "I told the guys that Cuba will never give up and to keep battling, and sure enough they came back. It's just a credit to this team that we kept fighting."
Cuba has dominated baseball at the quadrennial games since the first tournament in 1951. It has won 12 of the 15 titles, including every one between 1971 and 2007. The United States, which beat the Cubans to win the gold in 1967, has finished second to Cuba eight times.
"I thought Saturday's game against Mexico was one of my top baseball moments all-time, but this game just jumped ahead," Mercer said, comparing Monday's game to the tight 3-2 loss to the host country in front of a raucous crowd.
Although the baseball victory didn't add to the gold medal tally, the United States still won five more titles on Day 10 of the Pan American Games to bring its leading total to 62 gold and 165 overall.
Other results
The US won the women's team all-around in gymnastics for the 14th time, while Jordan Burroughs took gold in the men's 74kg freestyle wrestling category and Jacob Varner won the 96kg class. Weston Kelsey later won the men's epee and Lee Kiefer won the women's individual foil.
But those golds weren't as surprising as Monday's baseball victory.
The Americans cranked out 11 hits, and everyone in the lineup got at least one in Lagos de Moreno. Jordan Danks and Brett Carroll were the only players with two hits.
The US took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third when Jim Gallagher doubled in two runs. The Americans scored five more in the fourth and stretched their lead to 12-2 by the fifth. They then held on as the Cubans chipped away.
