WBC report: 3-run seventh puts Mexico in semifinals

March 17, 2023

Isaac Paredes had a tying two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning and Luis Urias followed with an RBI single as host Mexico rallied from a four-run deficit to beat Puerto Rico, 5-4, in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal in Miami on Friday night.

Mexico trailed 4-0 before it ever came to bat but will face Japan in the semifinals on Monday night.

Marcus Stroman (Patchogue-Medford) pitched 4 1/3 innings for Puerto Rico and allowed two earned runs and five hits, including a home run by Paredes.

Mexico will face Shohei Ohtani and Japan in the semifinals Monday. Puerto Rico failed to make it past the second round for the first time.

Paredes, who homered earlier, tied it at 4 with a single off losing pitcher Alexis Díaz that drove in Austin Barnes and Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena.

Puerto Rico tried to rally in the ninth with singles from Christian Vazquez and Francisco Lindor, but reliever Giovanny Gallegos got out of the jam for the save.

Arozarena saved the potential tying run in the eighth when he made a leaping catch at the wall in left-center.

Puerto Rico was coming off an emotional quarterfinals-clinching victory over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, when Mets star closer Edwin Díaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating the win. The sellout crowd of 35,817 at loanDepot park in Miami cheered when Diaz’s jersey appeared on the Jumbotron.

Javier Baez and Eddie Rosario homered off Mexico starter Julio Urías in a four-run first inning.

Rosario hit his second home run of the tournament. Baez, in one of his best games of the event, had three hits, giving him seven total.

Urías allowed five hits and four runs and struck out four before he was lifted after the fourth inning at 60 pitches, which is 20 fewer than the WBC quarterfinals pitch limit of 80.

JoJo Romero got the win.

Paredes made it 4-1 in the second when he homered against Stroman, which was one of Mexico’s five hits off Puerto Rico’s starter.

Stroman allowed three singles in the fifth, one of which drove in a run for Mexico to make it 4-2.

Puerto Rico finished second in the past two WBCs. Earlier in this tournament, its pitchers turned in an all-time performance against Israel in pool play with an eight-inning perfect game.

Mexico won group C with a 3-1 record in pool play. — AP