Cuba garnered the region's other direct slot for the Olympics after a 4-0 victory over Mexico on Sunday. The United States will play Cuba on Tuesday.

"It is a dream come true to face Cuba in a gold medal match," said U.S. manager Davey Johnson. Right-hander Kevin Slowey is expected to start against Cuba on Tuesday.

Baseball was the first sport in which Americans earned a spot in the 2008 Olympics. The inventors of the game and the 2000 Sydney Olympic champions missed the 2004 Olympics in Athens as they failed to qualify at the Americas Qualifier.

The United States achieved their fifth win in this year's qualifier in Havana on Sunday, the third day of the second and decisive round. They went into the game against Panama with just one loss in the first round, to Venezuela.

Lefty starter Greg Smith allowed one run, struck out five and walked two in 3 1-3 innings. Right-handers Nick Ungs, Lee Gronkiewicz and Jeff Farnsworth sealed the qualification with the former earning the win.

Starter Elpidio Pinto, took the loss.

Second baseman Bobby Hill went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Billy Butler and Bourns both had two hits and two RBIs.

Orlando Miller was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs for Panama.

Panama opened the scoring in the first inning, when Miller hit a triple and leftfielder Earl Agnoly had a RBI single.

The United States answered with Bourns' two-run single.

The U.S. added three runs in the third and four in the fourth to put the game away.