With the win, Canada (3-1) claimed first place in Pool A, advancing with Puerto Rico (3-1) out of the group. Cuba (2-2) has officially been eliminated from the tournament for the first time ever at the Pool stage.
Canada's 11 hits marked the most of any game they've played so far, while both teams also combined for five errors - the most of any game in the 2026 World Baseball Classic so far.
Recap and highlights
The start of the game got a little dicey for Cuba in the top of the first. Starting pitcher Livan Moinelo would first give up a single to Otto Lopez, then a walk to Josh Naylor, putting runners on first and second with no outs.
Moinelo would strike out Tyler O'Neill in the next at-bat before he tried to pick off Lopez at third base on an attempted steal. However, Cuba third baseman Yoan Moncada would be called for interference during the rundown, leaving Lopez to advance to third and Naylor to second with one out.
Moinelo would force Abraham Toro to pop up for the second out for walking Owen Cassie to load the bases with two outs.
However, Moinelo would get himself out of the jam after Matt Davidson popped out to Moncada to end the inning as Canada failed to take advantage of a great opportunity.
After only a single from Ariel Martinez (Cuba) in the bottom of the first, and a walk from Edouard Julien (Canada), neither would get anything done until Canada got up to bat in the top of the third inning.
Naylor would be forced into a groundout before O'Neill and Toro hit a pair of singles with one out in the inning. Both runners would advance to second and third after a past ball from Moinelo, where Canada wouldn't miss out on another opportunity.
Cassie hit a sac-fly to make it 1-0 before Moinelo would get himself out of letting any more damage happen.
Cuba would go scoreless in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, picking up a lone single from Martinez.
Canada would strike back once more after Toro crushed a solo home run to make it 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning.
Cuba didn't have a leadoff hitter get on base until the 5th inning - a walk to Yoel Yanqui - and it would prove to be worthwhile.
Canada starting pitcher Cal Quantrill, who had given up just two hits, committed an error on a wild throw to first in an attempt ot pickoff Yanqui, who'd hustled to third with no outs.
Quantrill would strike out Yiddi Cappe for the first out, but Yoelkis Guibert scored the first run for Cuba to make it 2-1 with a force out at first on a grounder.
Quantrill will finish the inning after striking Andrys Perez on a foul tip into the catcher's mitt, ending his final start of the Pool stage - going five innings, giving up one unearned run on two hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
The fielding errors would strike Cuba in the top of the sixth. After a Cappe dropped ball, relief pitcher Yariel Rodríguez would throw one in the dirt that skipped away, allowing Canadian baserunner Matt Davidson to advance from first to third with no outs.
On the very next pitch, Rodriguez laid a fastball right down main street for Bo Naylor to drill into deep right field for a double to bring Davidson home, making it 3-1.
The fielding errors would continue for Cuba, this time by Perez (catcher), allowing Denzel Clarke, who struck out, to advance to first, while Bo advanced to third with no outs.
Clarke would steal second before an Edouard Julien strikeout. Then, Otto Lopez would drill a two-run single to bring in both Clarke and Bo home, extending the lead to 5-1.
Things would get close in the bottom of the sixth inning as it looked like Cuba was about to go on a serious rally. Following a walk by Roel Santos, Moncada got on board with his first and only double of the tournament, putting both on second and third with one out.
Martinez would prove clutch and brought Santos home on an RBI single to right field to make it 5-2.
Yoel Yanqui walked following an Alfredo Despaigne strikeout to load the bases with two outs. With a perfect opportunity in front of him, Cappe couldn't get anything done as Canada reliever Adam Macko would strike him out to end the inning.
The opportunities would continue for Cuba after bad play in the field. Roel Santos would reach first on a single, thanks to a throwing error that let Omar Hernandez advance to third with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Erisbel Arruebarrena would come in to pinch hit for Alexander Vargas to face former MLB reliever James Paxton. But the veteran pitcher would send him down on strikes with a fastball high in the zone for the second out, leaving Moncada to be the final hope of the inning.
But Paxton would make quick work of the Cuban infielder on three-straight fastballs to bring the inning to an end.
With two outs in the top of the eighth, and what was looking like an inning to stall damage for Cuba, Josh Naylor would hit a single to left field that Martinez couldn't come up with the diving catch, allowing Lopez to score from first to make it 6-2.
Even in the top of the ninth inning, Canada would continue to pour it on after Cuba committed another fielding blunder, letting a pop fly fall that allowed Toro to reach second on a double.
Cassie would single on a grounder to right field to bring Toro home to make it 7-2. His nine RBI are now the most by a Canadian player in their country's history at the World Baseball Classic and he's just getting started.
Cuba's Malcom Nunez would make his first at-bat of the tournament in the bottom of the ninth, but Paxton would strike him out as quickly as he got up to the batter's box.
Cuba couldn't do anything in the bottom of the ninth inning, as their time at the WBC officially came to an end.
