Naylor brothers, ex-M’s help Canada advance in WBC for 1st time

Canada advanced past the first round of the World Baseball Classic for the first time, beating Cuba 7-2 Wednesday in a winner-take-all game at San Juan, Puerto Rico, behind Otto Lopez’s two-run single and former Seattle Mariners infielder Abraham Toro’s homer.

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Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor and his brother Bo Naylor each drove in runs, Owen Caissie had two RBIs, and ex-Mariners standout James Paxton struck out six over 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for Canada (3-1), which eliminated the Cubans (2-2) and won Group A over Puerto Rico (3-1). Cuba was knocked out in the first round for the first time.

Paxton, 37, came out of retirement to pitch for his home country for the first time in the WBC.

Canada and Puerto Rico will play quarterfinals in Houston this weekend.

Cuba finished with three errors, and left fielder Ariel Martinez allowed Toro’s catchable fly starting the seventh to fall for a double. The Canadians broke open the game with a three-run sixth inning that included a dropped popup, a foul pop that fell, a wild pickoff throw and a catcher’s interference call on Andrys Perez, whose passed ball led to Canada’s first run.

Later Wednesday, Mexico and Italy were to play at Houston in a Group B game that will determine whether the U.S. advances.

Cuba escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first when Matt Davidson hit an inning-ending popout off loser Livan Moinelo, but Canada went ahead in the third on Caissie’s sacrifice fly. Toro homered in the fifth on a splitter from Yariel Rodríguez, a 420-foot drive to right.

Cuba scored in the bottom half on Yoelkis Guibert’s run-scoring groundout off winner Cal Quantrill, who allowed an unearned run and two hits over five innings.

Canada opened a 3-1 lead in the sixth on Bo Naylor’s RBI double.

Martinez drove in a run in the bottom half with his third hit and Josh Naylor had an RBI single in the seventh on a soft fly to left that popped up of the glove of Martinez, who tried for a sliding catch.

Cuba went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position. Former Mariners draft pick Adam Macko escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth when Yiddi Cappe swung over a curveball and Paxton struck out Moncada in the seventh to leave runners at the corners.

Seattle Sports staff made additions to this post.

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