Moncada Homers as Cuba Defeats Panama 3-1 to Open WBC

Cuba opened Pool A play at the 2026 World Baseball Classic with a 3-1 victory over Panama, a game in which Moncada hit a home run and official game logs and play-by-play were published the same day by ESPN and other sports outlets. The headline result and the same-day logs are the clearest shared facts across the coverage; box-score specifics beyond Moncada’s homer were not included in every excerpt.

Multiple schedule and venue listings published before and after the game show minor conflicts. The majority of previews and match pages list Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the site, and Sofascore lists the game as Mar 6, 2026 at 4:00:00 PM UTC (11:00 AM ET). One original note mentioned loanDepot Park as an alternate listing; that remains a contradictory reference. Broadcast information in MLB and FOX previews lists FS2 for the Cuba-Panama matchup, and MLB/FOX copy notes that the FOX Sports family (FOX, FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes), the FOX Sports App and Tubi will combine to air all 47 WBC games in the United States, with all matchups available to stream on FOX One.

The early-inning scoreboard snapshot visible on Sofascore and FOX showed Cuba scoring 1 run in the 2nd inning and 2 runs in the 3rd inning, while Panama’s line in the first three innings was 0; final tallies reported across outlets were Cuba 3, Panama 1. Beyond Moncada’s home run, the provided excerpts did not supply winning or losing pitcher, saves, or a full batter-by-batter ledger in this compilation. Sofascore’s page also included a truncated player row for Enrique Bradfield Jr. that reads in part as a garbled table: "| Enrique Bradfield Jr. | E. Bradfield Jr. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |".

Pregame notes and match listings captured pitching context. FOX’s match snapshot listed "TBD vs LOGAN ALLEN #26 L. Allen" as the probable-starter line. MLB and New York Times previews singled out Livan Moinelo as a top Cuban arm — Moinelo is described as the reigning NPB MVP who "pitched for Cuba in the WBC as a reliever in 2017 and 2023," and whose 2025 season included a 1.56 ERA with 172 strikeouts in 167 innings. MLB copy also named a Cuban reliever Martinez as a "dominant NPB closer since 2020."

Roster context underlined absences and eligibility issues that shaped expectations. Andy Pages withdrew from Cuba’s roster, saying he wanted to "work on what is most important for my career." The coverage also noted that political and legal complications have historically kept major-league talent such as Alvarez, Yandy Díaz, Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias from playing for Team Cuba. A New York Times excerpt recorded that "Mets center fielder Robert" announced late last year he would not return to the team "until everyone is allowed to play."

Betting and fan-reaction data on FOX’s match page showed Cuba listed at -185 on the moneyline and Panama at +150, a run line of -1.5 for Cuba and +1.5 for Panama, and a total of 8.5 (Over -121 / Under +100). The FOX example bet phrasing in the snapshot read: "A bet of $185 would win $285 total if the Cuba win and a bet of $100 would win $250 total if the Panama win." The fan poll displayed roughly 3.1k votes with 77% favoring Cuba and 23% favoring Panama. FOX’s San Juan weather snapshot during the listing showed showers nearby, 77°F and wind 13 mph E.

The result continues a recent string of Cuban wins over Panama in World Baseball Classic play: MLB’s previews recalled Cuba’s 8-6, 11-inning win over Panama in 2006 and a 13-4 victory in group play in Taiwan in 2023. With this Pool A opener complete, MLB’s published schedule notes Cuba’s next games as March 8 vs. Colombia at 12 p.m. (FS2), March 9 at Puerto Rico at 7 p.m. (FS1), and March 11 vs. Canada at 3 p.m. (FS2), though the March 6 start time appears in some listings as 11:00 AM ET and in one row as 12 p.m., an inconsistency flagged in the matchup pages.