Cancun World Classic Day 4: Trout Powers Finland, Trump Saves Greenland, North Japan Clinches Quarterfinal Spot
- Fax Sports
- 8 minutes ago
- 3 min read
CANCÚN — The fourth day of the 2026 Cancun World Classic featured dominant individual performances, a dramatic walk-off, and the first team officially punching its ticket to the knockout stage.
Inside the packed Cancun Dome, Mike Trout delivered a historic night for Finland, Greenland stunned Myanmar with a ninth-inning walk-off from player-manager Donald Trump, and North Japan continued its offensive rampage while securing the tournament’s first quarterfinal berth.
Finland 4, Turkey 3 (Pool B)
Mike Trout put on a show and carried Finland to a narrow victory over Turkey with one of the most impressive individual performances of the tournament.
Trout wasted no time getting Finland on the board, blasting a leadoff home run in the first inning to give Finland an early 1–0 lead.
“He’s the best hitter on the planet,” a Finland teammate said after the game. “Sometimes you just sit back and watch.”
Trout wasn’t done.
In the fourth inning, he launched a two-run homer to extend the lead to 3–0, and in the seventh inning he crushed another towering shot — his third home run of the game — to make it 4–0.
“That was one of those nights where everything felt right,” Trout said. “Just trying to stay simple and help the team.”
Turkey nearly completed a stunning comeback in the ninth inning when Kyle Kuzma blasted a three-run home run, cutting the deficit to 4–3 and bringing the tying run to the plate.
Finland’s bullpen managed to escape the inning, sealing the victory and completing Trout’s unforgettable night.
Finland improves to 2–1 in Pool B, while Turkey drops to 1–3.
Greenland 7, Myanmar 6 (Pool D)
Day 4’s most dramatic finish came in the Greenland vs Myanmar matchup.
Greenland struck first in the third inning when Cody Bellinger launched a grand slam, sending Greenland fans into a frenzy and giving them a 4–0 lead.
Myanmar fought back and kept the game tight throughout the middle innings.
Greenland regained momentum in the fifth inning when Javy Báez crushed a two-run homer, extending the lead to 6–3.
But Myanmar refused to go away, rallying late and tying the game heading into the ninth inning.
That’s when player-manager Donald Trump stepped to the plate.
With one swing, Trump launched a walk-off solo home run to left field, sealing a 7–6 victory for Greenland and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
“It was a tremendous swing,” Trump said after the game. “Some people are saying it’s the best walk-off anyone’s ever seen. Incredible power.”
Greenland improves to 2–0 in Pool D, while Myanmar falls to 0–2.
North Japan 41, Azerbaijan 1 (Pool C)
North Japan continued to look unstoppable, crushing Azerbaijan 41–1 in a historic offensive performance that also secured their spot in the Cancun World Classic quarterfinals.
The scoring started early when Tony Ohtani launched a grand slam in the first inning while wearing the ceremonial North Japan Emperor’s kimono, giving North Japan an immediate 4–0 lead.
“It felt like a special moment,” Ohtani said. “When the crowd saw the kimono, they went crazy.”
The game quickly turned into a runaway.
In the fourth inning, starting pitcher Lil’ Moto added to the spectacle by hitting an inside-the-park home run, pushing North Japan’s lead to 17–0.
North Japan continued piling on runs throughout the game.
The biggest swing came in the eighth inning, when Yasiel Puig launched a five-run home run off the scoreboard, sending the crowd into disbelief as the lead ballooned to 41–1.
On the mound, Lil’ Moto delivered an absurd performance, striking out 103 batters, including 17 consecutive hitters, setting a Cancun World Classic record.
“I just kept attacking,” Lil’ Moto said after the game. “Once the strikeouts started stacking up, I didn’t want to stop.”
With the win, North Japan improves to 3–0 and officially advances to the Cancun World Classic Quarterfinals, while Azerbaijan falls to 0–3.
Other Day 4 Results
Greece 8, Lebanon 4 (Pool B)
Texas 7, China 6 (Pool A)
North Korea 10, Cuba 2 (Pool A)
Belarus 3, Turkmenistan 0 (Pool C)
Mongolia 5, Saudi Arabia 4 (Pool D)
Updated Cancun World Classic Standings
Pool A
Russia 2–0
Texas 2–0
Cuba 1–2
North Korea 1–2
China 0–2
Pool B
Greece 3–0 (advances)
Finland 2–1
Lebanon 1–2
Turkey 1–3
Syria 0–3
Pool C
North Japan 3–0 (advances)
Turkmenistan 1–1
Armenia 1–1
Belarus 1–1
Azerbaijan 0–3
Pool D
Greenland 2–0
Fax Islands 2–0
Mongolia 2–1
Myanmar 0–2
Saudi Arabia 0–3
With North Japan officially advancing (along with Greece) and several pools tightening up, the 2026 Cancun World Classic is entering a critical stretch of the group stage.
And if the first four days have proven anything, it’s that the Cancun Dome has already become the home of some of the wildest games in international baseball history.
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