The third day of the baseball competition (or honkbal as the Dutch call it) on Tuesday saw Japan and Canada remain unbeaten.

Canada beat honkbalers The Netherlands 7-0, Taiwan beat the winless Greeks 7-1, while Australia got off the mark with a 6-0 win over Italy.

Japan shot to tournament favouritism with victory over Cuba. This is the Olympic News Service report of that game:

Men : Japan holds off Cuba 6-3
ATHENS, 17 August - Power hitting and pitching propelled Japan (3-0) to a convincing 6-3 win over Cuba (2-1) at the Olympic Baseball Centre in the final game of Day 3 competition.

Japan's 'dream team' of professional all-stars struck early and proved they are likely the team to beat in Athens.

With two outs in the second inning, designated hitter Kazuhiro WADA (JPN) triggered a hitting spree by smacking a two-run home run over the left field wall off Cuban starter Vicyohandri ODELIN to open the scoring.

Two innings later, back-to-back solo home runs from catcher Kenji JOJIMA (JPN) and hot-hitting Norihiro NAKAMURA (JPN), who led Japan with three hits, built up Japan's lead and forced losing pitcher ODELIN from the game.

It was all the offence Japanese ace Daisuke MATSUZAKA needed. A standout in the 2000 Sydney Games, MATSUZAKA used a deft combination of 150-kph fast balls and off-speed curves to deceive the Cuban line up, which entered the game second only to Japan in team batting average.

MATSUZAKA, a star with Japan's Seibu Lions, survived a vicious line drive off the bat of Yelieski GOURRIEL (CUB) with one out in the fourth, which hit the pitcher's shoulder and sent him sprawling to the ground. After some medical treatment, he remained in the game, striking out Frederich CEPEDA (CUB) and Ariel PESTANO (CUB) to end the inning.

Cuba staged a ninth inning rally, but the two-time Olympic gold medallists were too deep in trouble to overcome Japan, which had added insurance runs in the seventh and ninth innings. Cuban catcher PESTANO did the major damage, driving a two-run double into the gap in right centre field that brought home two runs. Hirotoshi ISHII (JPN) then replaced MATSUZAKA, pitching two innings of relief for the save.

MATSUZAKA gave up three runs and struck out seven for the win in 8 1/3 innings.

The loss was only the third for Cuba since Baseball became a medal sport in the 1992 Games. Cuba won gold in the 1992 Games and 1996 Games but had to settle for silver in the 2000 Games when it lost to the USA.

ONS dr/pjg

Here is La Gazzetta dello Sport's report in Italian of Australia's double-drubbing of Italy in baseball and softball.