World Baseball Classic 2017: Scores and Reaction from Sunday Pool Play Results
Pool play continued at the World Baseball Classic on Sunday, as teams from Pools C and D looked to secure their places in the next round and those from Pool E looked to bolster their chances of advancing to the semifinals and potentially the final in Los Angeles.
Below, we'll break down the day's results.
| E | Japan | 8-6 | Netherlands |
| C | Dominican Republic | 10-3 | Colombia |
| D | Italy | 3-9 | Puerto Rico |
| C | Canada | 0-8 | United States |
| D | Mexico | 11-9 | Venezuela |
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Dominican Republic Beats Colombia 10-3
For 10 innings, the Dominican Republic and Colombia were knotted at three apiece. Then the Dominican Republic exploded, rattling off seven runs in the top of the 11th to pull away from Colombia and earn a huge 10-3 win a day after knocking off the United States.
Jean Segura (three RBI, two runs) paced the Dominicans, while Enny Romero earned the win after whiffing two batters in his one perfect inning of work. The Dominican pitching staff gave up just six hits in 11 innings, stifling the Colombia offense.
After both teams scored in the first inning, the Dominicans looked to take control in the third, pushing forward two runs. But Colombia got one back in the sixth, and Jorge Alfaro's solo home run in the bottom of the eighth tied the game, sending it to extra innings.
Neither team scored in the 10th before the Dominican Republic went wild in the 11th. The loss left Colombia hanging on by a thread but still capable of advancing, per Toronto Blue Jays announcer Mike Wilner:
In other words, the Colombians are the biggest fans of the Canadians outside of Canada itself.
Japan Beats the Netherlands 8-6
It took 11 innings, but Japan opened Pool E play with an important 8-6 win over the Netherlands. Sho Nakata was the hero, as his two-run single in the top of the 11th was the game-winner for Japan.
Nakata was superb, finishing 3-for-6 with two runs and five RBI, which included a three-run homer in Japan's four-run third inning. WBC Baseball shared Nakata's home run:
Kazuhisa Makita (two innings pitched, no runs allowed, one strikeout) earned the win. Ryosuke Kikuchi, Norichika Aoki and Hayato Sakamoto each scored two runs for Japan.
Japan flashed a bit of leather in the win too:
Jonathan Schoop (3-for-5, one home run, one run, two RBI) led the way for the Netherlands. Tom Stuifbergen took the loss.
The two teams traded blows throughout much of this game. Japan opened the scoring in the top of the second on a Shogo Akiyama sacrifice fly, but the Dutch answered in the bottom of the inning on Schoop's solo home run.
The ballclubs then swapped four-run frames in the third before Japan pulled ahead in the top of the fifth on a Seiji Kobayashi RBI single. That lead held up until the bottom of the ninth, when Schoop came up big again, knocking in a game-tying single.
MLB Network shared the clutch hit:
That set the stage for Nakata's heroics in the top of the 11th.
Japan will face Cuba on Tuesday with a chance to all but ensure its place in the semifinals. The Netherlands will face Israel on Monday, needing a win to stay alive.
Puerto Rico Beats Italy 9-3
Puerto Rico finished its sweep through Pool D Sunday with a fairly straightforward 9-3 victory over Italy.
Despite the loss, Italy got on the board first with a two-run homer from John Andreoli a mere two batters into the game. It scored in the top of the second as well off a long ball from Drew Butera, which made it 3-1.
However, Puerto Rico starter Jose Berrios settled down from there and didn't allow another hit outside the two home runs in his five innings. He struck out six and set the stage for Hiram Burgos to throw three shutout innings and Miguel Mejia to close the door.
Puerto Rico's staff not allowing a single run past the second inning opened the door for the powerful offense. Javy Baez started the scoring in the bottom of the first with an RBI single, and RBIs from Enrique Hernandez and Angel Pagan tied the game in the second.
Carlos Beltran's double in the fourth gave the victors the lead for good, and Puerto Rico poured on three runs in the fourth and two runs in the fifth. The three runs in the fourth all came from a Carlos Correa homer, as the World Baseball Classic shared:
If Puerto Rico receives consistent pitching like it did Sunday, the lineup—stacked with Major League players—can carry it a long way in this tournament.
United States Beats Canada 8-0
This game was never in doubt, as the United States proved to be the superior side at the plate and on the mound. It advanced to the next round with an easy 8-0 victory over Canada.
Starting pitcher Danny Duffy set the tone and threw four shutout innings, striking out seven in the process. He allowed just two hits in his outing and consistently locked the Canadian hitters up, as the World Baseball Classic shared:
The bullpen combination of Mychal Givens, Tyler Clippard, Jake McGee and Nate Jones did the rest, with Clippard striking out four in just two innings of work.
Offensively, the Americans did almost all their damage in the first two innings.
Eric Hosmer's two-RBI double started the scoring in the first, and Buster Posey drove in another to make it 3-0. Canada starter and retired MLB pitcher Ryan Dempster lasted just 0.1 innings, allowing those three runs.
The United States pushed four more across in the second, one of which came from a Posey single and three coming from a Nolan Arenado long ball. MLB passed along the Colorado Rockies' slugger's homer:
Just for good measure, Posey added his third RBI with a solo home run in the seventh.
Mexico Beats Venezuela 11-9
Mexico survived Venezuela in a back-and-forth affair 11-9.
Despite the close score, it looked as if Mexico would run away with it after putting up five runs in the second inning off a Japhet Amador double, Luis Alfonso Cruz sacrifice fly and Esteban Quiroz three-run homer. World Baseball Classic shared the long ball:
Venezuela got on the board in the third with a Martin Prado RBI single, but Mexico added three more in the fifth off a Brandon Laird homer to open a commanding 8-1 lead, as MLB Network captured:
That appeared to be more than enough, especially since Mexico starting pitcher Luis Mendoza gave up just two runs in four-plus innings of work. However, RBI doubles from Venezuela's Ender Inciarte and Prado and an RBI single from Miguel Cabrera made it 8-4 after five.
Mexico tacked on an insurance run in the sixth off Adrian Gonzalez's sacrifice fly, but RBI singles from Venezuela's Robinson Chirinos and Jose Altuve made it 9-6. The game was hanging in the balance later that inning with bases loaded and two out and the powerful Cabrera at the dish, but Sergio Romo induced a groundout.
Mexico made Venezuela pay for the missed opportunity with two more runs in the seventh off a Chris Roberson single.
Venezuela came back again in the bottom half of the inning when Victor Martinez drilled a two-run homer and Chirinos was hit by a pitch with bases loaded. It was suddenly down just two with the bases full and nobody out, but Altuve grounded into a force at home and Prado grounded into a double play to end the threat.
Mexico turned to Oliver Perez, who threw 1.1 shutout innings, and Roberto Osuna to close the door. Osuna got into trouble by allowing a single and walk but struck out Chirinos and retired Altuve for the save.
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