Cuba routs China 12-0 at World Baseball Classic

FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) - Jose Abreu hit a grand slam Monday to lead Cuba to a 12-0 rout over China in Group A of the World Baseball Classic.

Abreu drove in five runs, including the grand slam in the fifth inning, at Fukuoka Dome. The game was called under the tournament's mercy rule after the seventh inning.

Throughout the game, Cuba displayed the power that makes it one of the title contenders.

Alexei Bell hit a towering two-run homer to left to make it 4-0 in the fourth and Alfredo Despaigne put the result beyond doubt in the same inning when he doubled on a sharp ground ball to left, driving in Jose Fernandez and Frederich Cepeda to make it 6-0.

Fernandez singled in two more runs in the fifth before Abreu's grand slam.