Cuba Beats U.S. in Baseball, 3-1

Ariel Pestano singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and homered in the ninth to help Cuba defeat the United States, 3-1, Tuesday in the gold-medal baseball game of the Pan American Games at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

It was the ninth consecutive gold medal for Cuba.

Long Beach State right-hander Jered Weaver took his first loss this summer and had his streak of scoreless innings with the U.S. team end at 45 2/3.

Weaver retired nine of the first 10 batters, giving up a one-out double to Pestano in the third inning. Yulieski Gourriel’s run-scoring single in the sixth tied the score, 1-1.

Right-hander Norge Luis Vera retired the side in order in the first and fourth innings but was challenged in the second when he gave up a leadoff walk to Jeff Larish and a single to Seth Smith. Mike Nickeas grounded out to advance Larish to third and Brent Lillibridge’s sacrifice fly put the U.S. ahead, 1-0.

Mexico defeated Nicaragua, 6-2, for the bronze medal.

Things turned out much better for American swimmers, who swept the five races.

Robert Margalis won the men’s 400-meter individual medley and Ben Michaelson won the 100 butterfly in 53.04 seconds, a Pan Am record.

Dana Vollmer won the women’s 200 freestyle and Alexandra Spann won the 200 breaststroke. Spann suffered cramps afterward and could not accept her medal, so teammate Courtney Shealy stood in.

The U.S. won the men’s 800 freestyle relay with a Pan Am record time of 7:18.93.

The U.S. women lost to Uruguay, 35-21, for the handball bronze medal.