Cancun World Classic Day 3: Kershaw Dominates for Texas, Russia Stays Perfect, Greece Walks Off Finland

Clayton Kershaw celebrates after his complete game shutout gives Texas its first win in Cancun.

CANCÚN — The third day of the 2026 Cancun World Classic brought more fireworks inside the Cancun Dome, highlighted by a dominant pitching performance from Clayton Kershaw, a stunning comeback from Russia, and another dramatic late-inning thriller from Greece.

With several teams beginning to separate themselves in the group stage, Day 3 delivered high-stakes matchups that could shape the path to the knockout rounds.

Texas 3, North Korea 0 (Pool A)

Clayton Kershaw turned back the clock with a vintage performance, throwing a complete game shutout to lead Texas past North Korea.

The veteran left-hander looked sharp from the very first inning, keeping North Korea’s hitters off balance with a steady mix of fastballs and sweeping sliders.

“I felt good from the bullpen,” Kershaw said afterward. “Once we got that first run, I just wanted to keep the pressure on them.”

Texas provided early support when Jose Altuve launched a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning to give Texas a quick 1–0 lead.

The offense stayed quiet for several innings before adding insurance later in the game.

In the sixth inning, Travis Scott blasted a solo homer that pushed the lead to 2–0, and Max Muncy followed in the seventh inning with another long ball to make it 3–0.

Kershaw took care of the rest.

With the game on the line in the ninth inning, he struck out the side to complete the shutout.

“Clayton was unbelievable,” Altuve said. “When he’s pitching like that, you feel like you only need one run.”

Texas improves to 1–0 in Pool A, while North Korea drops to 0–2.

Russia 15, Cuba 5 (Pool A)

Russia continued its scorching start to the tournament, erasing an early deficit and overwhelming Cuba in a 15–5 victory.

Cuba jumped out quickly in the first inning when Yordong launched a grand slam, giving Cuba a stunning 4–0 lead.

The pressure continued in the second inning when Bad Bunny added a solo home run, extending the lead to 5–0.

But the momentum changed almost instantly.

In the bottom of the second inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushed a towering 5-run scoreboard home run, igniting the Russian dugout and sparking a historic comeback.

From that moment on, Russia’s offense exploded.

Over the next several innings, Russia piled up 15 unanswered runs, powered by a barrage of home runs from Guerrero Jr., The Rizzler, Nikola Jokic, Nicolai Hoerner, Victor Robles, and Dmitri Young.

“We knew we were too good of a lineup to stay quiet,” Guerrero said. “Once one guy got it going, everybody started swinging free.”

Russia’s bullpen shut down Cuba the rest of the way, completing one of the most dramatic comebacks of the tournament so far.

Russia improves to 2–0 in Pool A, while Cuba falls to 1–1.

Greece 9, Finland 8 (Pool B)

If Russia’s comeback was dramatic, the Greece–Finland matchup delivered pure chaos.

Finland struck first in the second inning when Mike Trout blasted a three-run home run, giving Finland a quick 3–0 lead.

Greece responded in the fourth inning when Giannis Antetokounmpo crushed a grand slam, instantly flipping the game and putting Greece ahead 4–3.

“We were just trying to stay patient,” Giannis said. “Once the bases were loaded, I knew I had to swing big.”

Greece extended the lead in the fifth inning when Nick Castellanos hit a two-run homer, making it 6–3.

But Finland refused to go away, clawing back throughout the late innings and eventually tying the game heading into the ninth.

Then Castellanos delivered the moment of the night.

Leading off the top of the ninth, Castellanos launched his second home run of the game, a towering shot that proved to be the game-winning run.

“Sometimes you just feel it,” Castellanos said. “That pitch was exactly where I wanted it.”

Greece improves to 2–0 in Pool B, while Finland falls to 1–1.

Other Day 3 Results

• Syria 2, Turkey 1 (Pool B)

• North Japan 17, Belarus 0 (Pool C)

• Armenia 6, Azerbaijan 3 (Pool C)

• Mongolia 8, Myanmar 5 (Pool D)

• Fax Islands 7, Saudi Arabia 0 (Pool D)

  
  

Updated Cancun World Classic Standings

Pool A

Russia 2–0

Texas 1–0

Cuba 1–1

China 0–1

North Korea 0–2

Pool B

Greece 2–0

Finland 1–1

Lebanon 1–1

Turkey 1-2

Syria 1-2

Pool C

North Japan 2–0

Turkmenistan 1-0

Armenia 1–1

Belarus 0-1

Azerbaijan 0–2

Pool D

Fax Islands 2–0

Greenland 1-0

Mongolia 1–1

Myanmar 0–1

Saudi Arabia 0-2

With several teams now establishing themselves as contenders, the 2026 Cancun World Classic is quickly turning into a tournament full of wild momentum swings, dominant pitching performances, and unforgettable power displays.

And with the group stage heating up, every game from here on out could reshape the race to the knockout rounds.