Brazil’s Lukas Rojo celebrates in their 5-3 win against Panama at the Pan American Games. (Photo Courtesy of WBSC Americas)
On the first day of the super round of the 2023 Pan American Games in Cerrillos, Chile, No. 24 Brazil beat No. 12 Panama 5-3 to remain undefeated at the tournament with a 4-0 record.
Panama is now 3-1 at the 2023 Pan American Games.
Both countries are still in contention for their first gold medal at an intercontinental senior event tournament.
Brazil got on the board first in the top of the first inning when Victor Coutinho lifted a solo home run over the left field wall.
In the bottom of the second inning, Panama tied the game up at one when shortstop Eduardo Thomas reached on a fielding error from Brazil third baseman Pedro Silva as center fielder Jhonny Santos came in to score to tie it up at 1-1.
Brazil starting pitcher Murilo Gouvea was taken out of the game after throwing 2.2 innings and allowing five hits, one earned run, one walk, and four strikeouts.
Panama starter Steven Fuentes pitched 5.1 innings allowing two hits, one earned run, one walk, and two strikeouts.
The score remained tied at one until the top of the seventh inning when Brazil designated hitter Salomon Koba led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield. The next batter, left fielder Fabio Murakami, singled to the left side of the infield to give Brazil runners on first and second with no outs. Then Brazil second baseman Lucas Rojo dropped a bunt and Brazil leaded the bases loaded.
Panama manager Hipolito Ortiz would go to his bullpen to call upon relief pitcher Severino Gonzalez to record the final three outs of the top of the seventh inning.
The next batter, pinch hitter Osvaldo Carvalho, laced a bases-clearing double into the left center field gap as pinch runner Lucas Sakay, Murakami, and Rojo came across to score and give Brazil a 4-1 lead. A few moments later, Pedro Silva roped a RBI single to left center field and Carvalho came into score to extend the lead to 5-1.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Panama would cut the lead in half when second baseman Edgard Munoz hit a two-run home run to make it 5-3.
Brazil relief pitcher Eric Taniguchi got Santos to strikeout swinging for the final out of the game as Brazil remains undefeated at the 2023 Pan American Games.
Brazil qualified for the 2023 Pan American Games by beating Argentina 2-0 in the 2022 South American Baseball Championship in July 2022 in Lima, Peru. Brazil has won eight gold medals at the South American Baseball Championship, the most since the event began in 1957.
Brazil has not won multiple games at an intercontinental senior event since the 2005 Baseball World Cup when they beat South Africa and Sweden in Pool A of that tournament. Brazil has not appeared in the Pan American Games since they were the host nation with the event that took place in Rio de Janeiro in 2007.
This is the first time that Brazil is appearing in an intercontinental senior event tournament since appearing in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, though they did play in the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classic qualifiers.
Panama has not won an international senior event since the 2010 Central American Games beating Nicaragua in the gold medal game.
Panama qualified for the Pan American Qualifiers in June in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when they beat host nation Argentina in the final qualifier game 9-3.