Owen Caissie’s two-run homer sends Canada to 8-2 World Baseball Classic win
Canadian players and fans left Saturday at 3: 12 p. m. ET with momentum: an offense that produced eight runs gave the pitching staff room to work after Canada defeated Colombia 8-2 in the World Baseball Classic, and owen caissie delivered a two-run home run that put Canada ahead in the second inning.
Owen Caissie and Abraham Toro ignite Canada’s offense
Owning an early lead changed the game for Canada. owen caissie tied a concrete run total to his swing by hitting a two-run homer in the second inning off Austin Bergner, giving Canada a two-run advantage. Abraham Toro contributed a double and a triple, produced two runs, and crossed the plate twice, repeatedly pressuring Colombia’s defense. Josh Naylor and Bo Naylor also drove in runs later in the game, with Josh adding a run-scoring single in the seventh and Bo delivering a run with a single in the eighth.
Michael Soroka to Philippe Aumont: pitching swings that sealed the win
Canada used six pitchers to hold Colombia to two runs on six hits. Michael Soroka started and worked three innings, allowing four hits, then relievers Indigo Diaz, Noah Skirrow, Micah Ashman and Éric Cerantola followed with scoreless frames that stifled rallies. Philippe Aumont was credited with the victory; Aumont, whose last appearance in the major leagues dated to 2015, finished the game by striking out Tito Polo to end the contest.
Fielding plays and baserunning that tilted the game for Canada
Defensive execution and baserunning mistakes by Colombia helped extend Canada’s advantage. Early in the game Josh and Bo Naylor combined on a play that erased Michael Arroyo trying to advance to third after a misplay, and Colombia was thrown out on the bases on four occasions. Michael Arroyo had a run-producing single in the third off Soroka that cut the lead, but Canada answered in the later innings, including a four-run eighth inning highlighted by Toro’s triple and a Bo Naylor single that brought Toro home.
Colombia produced a run in the eighth when Harold Ramírez hit a double, and Gio Urshela mounted a scoring opportunity with two on and two outs that was not converted after Éric Cerantola made a pivotal defensive sequence. Denzel Clarke reached base and was later driven in by Josh Naylor’s seventh-inning single, extending Canada’s lead before the late insurance runs.
Panama awaits as Canada’s next opponent in the preliminary round; Panama lost 3-1 to Cuba in extra innings, and Canada will meet Panama on Sunday at Hiram Bithorn in San Juan. The Canadian manager Ernie Whitt will set his lineup ahead of that game, and Jameson Taillon has been identified as a scheduled starter for Canada in the next outing, a move tied to roster decisions made earlier in camp.
Phillipe Aumont’s closing strikeout capped the scoring and secured the win for Canada, which scored eight runs while sending a sequence of six pitchers to the mound. Defensive throws, timely hitting by Toro and Caissie, and a composed relief corps combined for the team’s first victory in the tournament.
If Canada beats Panama on Sunday, its early momentum in the preliminary round will extend and shape its next slate of matchups.
