Pool play in the WBC is now over. Before we get to the wrap-ups, let’s go over what the quarterfinal matchups are and when they’ll be played.
Friday:
Korea at Dominican Republic in Miami. 5:30 p.m. CT. FS1.
USA at Canada in Houston. 7 p.m. CT. Fox.
Saturday:
Puerto Rico at Italy in Houston. 2 p.m. CT. FS1
Venezuela at Japan in Miami. 8 p.m. Central. Fox.
Pool A:
Canada took advantage of several Cuba defensive miscues to win 7-1 and advance to the elimination rounds of the World Baseball Classic
for the first time.
After both teams failed to score in the first two innings, Canada got on the board first in the top of the third. Tyler O’Neill and Abraham Toro both singled with one out and went to second and third on a passed ball. Owen Caissie drove home O’Neill on a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
That was all Canada could manage off of SoftBank Hawks pitcher Liván Moinelo. But Canada teed off on Blue Jays reliever Yariel Rodríguez. Toro made it 2-0 in the top of the fifth with a home run by Toro. [VIDEO]
That blast got out in a hurry and went 420 feet.
Meanwhile, Cal Quantrill was strong against the Cuban lineup. But Cuba did get a run in the bottom of the fifth inning when he walked leadoff hitter Yoel Yanqui. Quantrill then sent Yanqui to third base on a bad pickoff throw and he then scored on a ground out to first, making it 2-1 Canada.
Here are some Quantrill highlights [VIDEO]
But Canada expanded the lead to 5-1 in the sixth inning. First, former White Sox Matt Davidson, who’s been in KBO the past two seasons, reached on a dropped infield pop up. He went all the way to third on a wild pitch. Bo Naylor then doubled to drive home Canada’s third run.
After the Athletics’ Denzel Clarke reached on a dropped third strike/catcher’s interference after Cuban catcher Andrys Perez used his mask to collect the ball, Otto Lopez singled both Naylor and Clarke home.
Here are all the highlights from the three-run Canada sixth inning. [VIDEO]
Quantrill left after five innings and was replaced by Diamondbacks minor leaguer Indigo Diaz. Cuba cut the Canadian lead down to 5-2 on an RBI single by Nippon Ham Fighter Ariel Martínez. [VIDEO]
Cuba had a threat going in the bottom of the seventh against James Paxton. There were two men on and Yoán Moncada represented the tying run, but Paxton struck Moncada out to end the threat. [VIDEO]
Canada would tack on another run in the eighth on a single by Josh Naylor and another one in the ninth on a single by Caissie. [VIDEO]
Canada wins Group A with a 3-1 record and Puerto Rico advances in the second spot. Cuba goes home with a 2-2 record.
Group B (Houston):
Vinnie Pasquantino hit three home runs and Italy goes undefeated in pool play, saving Team USA’s tournament with a 9-1 thrashing of Mexico.
The Cubs’ Javier Assad looked strong early, striking out the side in order in the top of the first inning. But after Italy starter Aaron Nola stranded Nolan Arenado after a two-out double in the bottom of the first, Pasquantino led off the top of the second with his first home run of the game. [VIDEO]
As you can see, right fielder Jarren Duran just missed making that catch.
In the fourth inning, Assad’s former teammate Jon Berti made it 2-0 with a solo home run. [VIDEO]
Assad walked Jac Caglianone to lead off the fifth inning and then got pulled when he allowed a one-out single to Diamondbacks minor leaguer J.J. D’Orazio. Rockies reliever Brennan Bernardino relieved Assad and Phillies 2024 first-round pick Dante Nori scored Caglianone with a squeeze play. [VIDEO]
The Marlins’ Jakob Marsee hit a two-run single later in the fifth to make it 5-0 and almost guarantee Team USA would move on to the quarterfinals. (If Italy scored five runs, the only way Team USA would not advance would have been if Mexico won in extra innings.)
In the sixth inning, Pasquantino hit home run number two to make it 6-0. [VIDEO]
It became 7-0 in the seventh when Berti singled and Alek Thomas made an error in center field. [VIDEO]
Mexico finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI groundout by Thomas. But Pasquantino made it 8-1 with his third home run of the game. [VIDEO]
Not only was it the first three-home-run game in WBC history, Pasquantino said that he had never hit three home runs in a game at any level, including Little League. And since Italy has a tradition that you have to do a shot of espresso after every home run, Pasquantino said he felt “caffeinated” by the end of the game.
Italy got one more run in the eighth on a double by Andrew Fischer.
Italy finished 4-0 in the group. Mexico falls to 2-2 and fails to advance.
Pool D (Miami):
Dominican Republic 7, Venezuela 5
Both teams had already qualified for the quarterfinals, but the Dominican Republic stayed perfect and won the group with a 7-5 win over Venezuela.
The DR got off to an early start as the third batter of the game, Juan Soto, cracked this two-run home run. [VIDEO]
That one went 409 feet off of Venezuela starter Eduardo Rodríguez.
But Venezuela struck back in the bottom of the first when, after one out, Maikel Garcia singled, Luis Arraez walked and Willson Contreras singled home Garcia to make it 2-1.
But the Dominican Republic increased their lead to 3-1 in the third inning on this solo home run by Ketel Marte. [VIDEO] This one went 403 feet. The Dominicans weren’t hitting cheapies.
After that Marte home run, Rodriguez left for Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo. That didn’t help any because Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took him deep to make it 4-1. [VIDEO]
Venezuela did not give up. They scored two runs in the bottom of the third with back-to-back doubles by Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez off of Dominican starter Sandy Alcantara.
But that’s as close as Venezuela would get. Fernando Tatis Jr. came to the plate with two on in the fourth inning with Rockies pitcher Antonio Senzatela on the mound. Tatis emptied the bases in a hurry to make it 7-3 Dominican Republic [VIDEO]
Venezuela got a rally going in the bottom of the ninth off Brewers reliever Abner Uribe, but A’s pitcher Elvis Alvarado came in and got one out on a Luis Arraez sacrifice fly. Then Alvarado got a comebacker to the mound that should have been a double play, but he threw the ball into center field instead. [VIDEO]
So with one out and the tying run on first base, Venezuela had the winning run at the plate in the form of Salvador Perez. But Perez hit a grounder to third base and this time, the Dominican Republic did not fail to turn the double play. [VIDEO]
The Dominican Republic wins the group and joins Italy and Japan as the three teams to go undefeated in pool play. Venezuela still advances with a 3-1. record.
