Nine-run first inning lifts United States
Nolan Arenado ignited a nine-run first inning with a two-run double and Mike Trout concluded it with a three-run homer as the United States routed Canada, 12-1, in World Baseball Classic Pool C play in Phoenix on Monday night.
Cedric Mullins had an RBI triple in the big inning and Trea Turner hit a solo homer for the United States, which leads Pool C at 2-1. Canada is 1-1.
Lance Lynn allowed two hits and struck out six in five innings. The game was called after 6 1⁄2 innings under the mercy rule.
Puerto Rico 10, Israel 0: Jose De Leon and three relievers did not allow a baserunner in a game called after eight innings because of the mercy rule.
It will not count as a perfect game in official WBC records because the game didn’t go a full nine innings.
“Very happy for the guys, especially after what happened Sunday,” Puerto Rico manager Yadier Molina said, referring to his team’s 9-6 loss to Venezuela. “To come out aggressively and win the game the way we did makes me very proud.”
De Leon struck out 10 in 5 2⁄3 innings. “After all the setbacks I faced, I deserved this type of moment,’’ he said five years after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Yacksel Rios struck out the final batter of the sixth, Edwin Diaz threw just 10 pitches in the seventh and Duane Underwood Jr. pitched the eighth.
Javier Baez and Eddie Rosario had run-scoring doubles in a three-run first. Hernandez had a two-run double and Emmanuel Rivera followed with an RBI triple in the second to put Puerto Rico (2-1 in Pool D) ahead 6-0. Francisco Lindor extended the lead in the fifth with a three-run triple. Israel is 1-1.
Great Britain 7, Colombia 5: In Phoenix, Jaden Rudd hit a go-ahead two-run double in the fifth and Harry Ford added a solo homer as Great Britain (1-2 in Pool C) earned its first-ever WBC win. Colombia is 1-1.
Dominican Republic 6, Nicaragua 1: Juan Soto and Manny Machado homered in the sixth for the Dominican Republic (1-1 in Pool D) in Miami.
Nicaragua fell to 0-3.
South Korea 22, China 2: Kunwoo Park and Ha-Seong Kim hit grand slams in consecutive innings as South Korea (2-2 in Pool B) set a WBC scoring record. China finished 0-4.
Australia 8, Czech Republic 3: Brewers prospect Alex Hall homered and had four RBIs as Australia (3-1) advanced past the first round for the first time in five WBC appearances, finishing second in Pool B behind Japan (4-0) in Tokyo. Australia will play Cuba in a quarterfinal on Wednesday in Tokyo. The Czech Republic finished 1-3.
