World Baseball Classic highlights: Mexico eliminates Puerto Rico

The 2023 World Baseball Classic is within the quarterfinal stage, and Friday’s slate featured an anticipated matchup between Puerto Rico and Mexico. The motion happened at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, the place the remainder of the World Baseball Classic video games will likely be held.

Puerto Rico blazed out of the gates, going up 4-0 within the first inning, and so they held their lead by means of many of the recreation. However, Mexico chipped away slowly, then surged forward within the seventh inning with 3 RBIs in two at-bats. The Pool C champion Mexico squad held on tightly to their hard-earned lead late within the recreation and ended victorious with a 5-4 win.

Mexico will advance to the semifinals for the primary time in group historical past on Monday at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, the place it’ll face Japan, which was the Pool B champion and topped Italy within the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals for the fifth straight time within the World Baseball Classic

The WBC started March 7 and can finish on March 21 with the championship recreation (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, FS1) in Florida. Quarterfinal video games will happen March 15-18, adopted by the semifinals from March 19-20. 

Games are airing throughout FOX, FS1, FS2 and can be found to stream on the FOX Sports app. View the total schedule right here.

Here are the highest performs!

Mexico 5, Puerto Rico 4

On the board

Puerto Rico tallied the primary run of the sport with a sac fly to deep proper area by Emmanuel Rivera, permitting Kiké Hernández to attain.

Back-to-back dwelling runs

Javier Báez launched a house run that lead to two factors, after which Eddie Rosario adopted it up with one other homer, placing Puerto Rico forward 4-0 on the prime of the primary inning.

Mexico responds

After a dominant first inning for Puerto Rico, Mexico started composing its response within the second, beginning with this homer by Isaac Paredes to make it 4-1.

Deep dive

Puerto Rico’s Hernández made a phenomenal diving catch to ship Joey Menses off the sector and keep the lead.

Ouch!

Marcus Stroman’s pitch bought away from him with Isaac Paredes at bat, and Paredes took a pitch to the shoulder which awarded him a stroll.

Chipping away

Mexico fought exhausting to chip away at Puerto Rico’s early lead and set itself up effectively within the fifth inning with an Alex Verdugo single that introduced Alek Thomas dwelling to make it 4-2, in addition to leaving all three bases loaded …

… But an over-the-shoulder catch by Juan Soto halted the base-runners of their tracks.

Put me in, coach

Yacksel Ríos changed Stroman on the mound and introduced a recent wave of vitality to the Puerto Rican squad by getting them out of a sticky scenario on the backside of the fifth.

Mexico has tenacity

The Mexican gamers refused to hold their heads early and as a substitute battled again into place to attain large with all bases loaded within the seventh inning … 

… and so they capitalized with a Paredes hit into left area that added two to Mexico’s tally, tying the sport at 4-4.

Lead change!

Julio Urías then hit to proper area for an RBI and Mexico took the lead going into the eight inning! 

Randy mentioned “Nope!”

Randy Arozarena made a spectacular catch on the wall to maintain Rivera and Puerto Rico off the board, and one other out put Mexico in nice place on the backside of the eighth inning. 

Not sufficient

Puerto Rico started the ninth inning with a lead-off single by Cesar Vargas, however they could not put collectively any extra runs.

Viva Mexico!

Mexico accomplished their gorgeous comeback, ending with a 5-4 victory and advancing on to the semifinals!

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