U.S. Baseball Team Advances to Title Game

Robin Ventura’s two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning snapped a 3-3 tie and the United States beat Taiwan, 6-3, Tuesday night to earn a berth against Cuba in the finals of the World Baseball Championship today.

Cuba, the defending champion, used an eighth-inning rally of its own in beating Japan, 7-3, earlier Tuesday to remain unbeaten in the tournament.

The U.S.’s only loss was to Cuba, 10-9, on Sunday.

In Tuesay’s game, Kuo-lee Chien-fu, the fourth of six Taiwan pitchers, issued two walks to load the bases before Ventura singled to give the U.S. a 5-3 lead. Tino Martinez followed with a double to make it 6-3.