Cleveland Sports Forum

John Andreoli grounds a single past the second baseman, allowing Drew Butera and Drew Maggi to score to give Team Italy a 10-9 win

Italy slugs early, stuns Mexico late with 5-run 9th

For the second time in as many World Baseball Classic contests against Mexico, Italy mounted a stunning ninth-inning comeback to win the opener of Pool D play in Jalisco, 10-9.

With Mexico nursing a comfortable four-run advantage heading into the bottom of the ninth, Italy's Francisco Cervelli, Chris Colabello and Alex Liddi hit consecutive doubles off reliever Roberto Osuna. That was followed by an error at shortstop for Mexico, a walk and a Brandon Nimmo single. John Andreoli hit a walk-off single to lift Italy to victory.

taly slugged four of the six homers in the game, all in the first five innings. Andreoli hit a solo shot in the first, and in the fourth, both Rob Segedin and Colabello went deep. Drew Butera belted a solo homer in the fifth.

Mexico was in control after reclaiming the lead in the fifth, as Vidal Nuno, Carlos Torres, Joakim Soria and Sergio Romo combined for four scoreless innings before Italy's ninth-inning rally.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Blast-off: Second baseman Esteban Quiroz wasted no time in getting Mexico on the board, leading off the game with an opposite-field home run over the left-field wall off Italy starter Alessandro Maestri. Quiroz followed that up with an RBI double in the third to put Mexico up, 2-1.
Esteban Quiroz drives the ball over the left-field wall to give Team Mexico an early lead with a leadoff home run

Amador says 'Adios': With one out in the fourth, Japhet Amador launched a 1-2 pitch from Italy reliever Tiago da Silva over the wall in left to extend Mexico's lead to 3-1. Mexico tacked on another run in the frame on a Sebastian Elizalde single.
Japhet Amador extends Team Mexico's lead to two runs in the 4th with a solo shot to left-center field

Buca di Oppo: After seeing Mexico pad its lead in the top half of the inning, Segedin and Colabello pulled Italy even with a pair of homers to right field off Mexico starter Yovani Gallardo in the bottom of the fourth.
Rob Segedin cuts Team Italy's deficit to one run with a two-run homer to right-center field, scoring Daniel Descalso in the 4th inning

Cruz control: With two outs and the bases loaded in the fifth, Cruz jumped on the first pitch he saw from Italy's Pat Venditte, driving it down the left-field line for a two-run double to reclaim a three-run lead for Mexico.
Luis Alfonso Cruz drives the ball to left field for a double, scoring Alex Verdugo and Japhet Amador to give Team Mexico a three-run lead

Nimmo's clutch knock: Down 9-7 in the ninth, Mets prospect Nimmo drove a 1-2 pitch from Perez to right field, where Dodgers prospect Alex Verdugo dove to his right but couldn't come up with the catch. As the ball kicked away from Verdugo, a run scored to bring the Italians within one.

QUOTABLE

"We were winning, 9-5, in the last inning. They are all closers from the big leagues, and I don't see anything that could have been different. We were up, 9-5, with the best closers in the big leagues. You cannot do anything different. Baseball didn't pay off today; it wasn't our game. We know [Osuna's] an awesome pitcher, and there are good days and bad days for everybody." -- Mexico manager Edgar Gonzalez.

WHAT'S NEXT

Mexico: Mexico takes on Puerto Rico on Saturday at 9:30 p.m EST. Puerto Rico was the runner-up in the 2013 Classic, losing to the Dominican Republic in the championship game.

Italy: Italy's next opponent in round-robin Pool D play is Venezuela, on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. EST.

BOX SCORES

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HUGE GAME FOR COLABELLO

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Alfredo Despaigne answered Australia's run with a towering, two-out grand slam in the bottom of the fifth.

Grand swing: Despaigne's slam gives Cuba a lift

TOKYO -- Alfredo Despaigne watched teammate after teammate leave Cuba for MLB riches.

He played with Yoenis Cespedes and Aroldis Chapman in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, with Jose Abreu, Yasmany Tomas and Yulieski Gurriel in WBC 2013. He's the star who stayed with the program, the one still making Cuban baseball memories like the one he made Friday. In a game that will determine which team advances to the second round from Pool B, Despaigne's two-out, fifth-inning grand slam gave Cuba a 4-1 lead over Australia. Despaigne connected off 20-year-old Twins prospect Lachlan Wells, who was impressive two nights earlier against Japan but struggled with his command Friday. While his ex-teammates have signed for big money in the U.S., Despaigne hasn't exactly been left with nothing. He has played professional baseball in Japan the last three years under a program approved by Cuban baseball and the Cuban government, and he recently signed a three-year contract for a reported $16 million to remain in Japan with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Despaigne is so popular in Japan that he got loud cheers during pregame introductions Tuesday night, when Cuba played Japan. His grand slam Friday also brought cheers, and not just from the small group of Cuban fans sitting behind the first-base dugout. Despaigne hit .389 with three home runs in six games in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The home run Friday was his second in three games in this tournament.

TOKYO -- Cuba is still alive in the World Baseball Classic, into the second round for the fourth consecutive tournament, all thanks to one swing of the bat.

Veteran outfielder Alfredo Despaigne's fifth-inning grand slam provided Cuba with all its runs in a 4-3 victory that broke Australia's hearts again.

The Australians have played in the World Baseball Classic all four times it has been held but have never made it out of the first round, and this time they believed they really had a chance.

They had a chance and they were impressive, but they're going home. Cuba is staying around, advancing out of Pool B along with host Japan. The second round, which will also be played at Tokyo Dome, begins with Cuba playing Israel at 10 p.m. ET Saturday, followed by Japan-Netherlands at 5 a.m. ET Sunday.

Despaigne is playing in his third World Baseball Classic, and he has seen the Cuba team weakened as players left to sign contracts with the major leagues. He's now the cleanup hitter and the team's biggest star, counted on for moments like the one he delivered Friday.

Cuba trailed 1-0 through four innings, and the Cubans hadn't advanced a runner past first base against Tigers right-hander Warwick Saupold. Australia manager Jon Deeble took out Saupold after 50 pitches and turned to Lachlan Wells, the Twins' prospect who was impressive in Australia's opening game against Japan.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Cuba's local hero: Despaigne is popular in Japan, where he played the last three seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines and just signed a new three-year contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He has certainly looked at home at Tokyo Dome this week, with two home runs in three games. It's nothing new for him, though. Despaigne homered three times in six games in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. His grand slam Friday came off an 89 mph 2-1 fastball Wells left in the middle of the plate.

All those Aussies on base: Australia will remember the Despaigne home run, but also all the missed chances to score more runs early in the game. The Aussies had two runners on base in the first, second and fourth innings, without scoring. They had the bases loaded in the third, before Yoennis Yera came out of the Cuba bullpen to strike out Logan Wade. Wade eventually gave Australia a lead with his two-out single off Yera in the fifth inning, but it could have been a lot more than 1-0 at that point. All told, Australia left 15 on base.
Yoennis Yera strikes out Logan Wade with the bases loaded to maintain the scoreless tie and end the top of the 3rd inning

BOX SCORES

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Seiji Kobayashi connects on a no-doubt two-run home run in the bottom of the 2nd inning, extending Japan's lead to 3-0

Japan cruises past China, goes 3-0 in Pool B

TOKYO -- Japan prepared for the second round of the World Baseball Classic with an easy 7-1 win over China in Pool B's final first-round game Friday at Tokyo Dome.

Catcher Seiji Kobayashi and first baseman Sho Nakata belted two-run homers for Japan, which had already clinched first place in Pool B and a spot in the second round. Japan will open second-round play against the Netherlands on Sunday (6 a.m. ET) at Tokyo Dome.

Japan won all three of its first-round games in impressive fashion. The hosts beat Cuba, 11-6, and got by Australia, 4-1, before beating China. Left fielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh, who homered in each of the first two wins, was named the Most Valuable Player in Pool B.

"I don't send any signs for the cleanup guy," Japan manager Hiroki Kokubu said of Tsutsugoh. "His job is just get RBIs, and he just did what exactly I was expecting for him."
China finished pool play winless.

"We have a lot of things to work on, but this is a building block and I think we took another step forward," China manager John McLaren said.

Retired Major Leaguer Bruce Chen, who was expected to pitch in relief for China, got sick and was unable to come to Tokyo Dome. Chen, who works in the Indians' front office, pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings against Australia and said this will be his last tournament.
China manager John McLaren discusses the team's 7-1 loss to Japan in their final game of Pool B play

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Japan power: Going into the tournament, Japan didn't expect to build its offense on home runs. But homers have been a big part of Japan's game all week. Kobayashi and Nakata's home runs Friday gave Japan six in the three games of the first round. Nakata's homer was his second of the tournament.
Sho Nakata blasts a two-run homer just over the left-field wall, padding Japan's lead and putting them up 5-1 in the 3rd inning

"To be honest with you, I didn't expect [us] to hit so [many] home runs," said Kokubu. "That was more than I expected."

China scores: McLaren was openly critical of his team's performance in Thursday's 11-0 loss to Australia. While the Chinese pitching wasn't good against Japan, China did show some life at the plate. Third baseman Ray Chang, playing his last game before joining MLB to help develop baseball in China, singled home Fujia Chu in the third inning to give China a run.
Ray Chang plates China's first run of the 2017 World Baseball Classic with an RBI single lined to right field in the 3rd inning

"It was really cool to feel that rush of adrenaline again," said Chang, who retired after 12 seasons in the Minor Leagues and three World Baseball Classic appearances with China.

Getting ready: Japan had already qualified for the second round, but Kokubu elected to play almost all of his regulars against China to get them ready for Sunday's second-round opener against the Netherlands. One player who did get the night off was Astros outfielder Norichika Aoki, who was one of the few Japan starters who worked out Thursday.

Fujinami shows off: Major League scouts in attendance at Tokyo Dome had been waiting to see 22-year-old Japan right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, who didn't appear in the first two games. Fujinami entered Friday's game in the fourth inning and showed off a fastball that clocked in the mid-90s on the radar gun. Over two scoreless innings, he fanned four batters, allowed one walk and hit a batter.
Shintaro Fujinami enters in relief for Japan and strikes out four batters over two scoreless innings

Kokubu said he hasn't determined whether he'll use Fujinami as a starter or reliever in the second round.

QUOTABLE

"It's hard to see right now with the results, but we have really improved a lot. I'm really excited to take this to the next level. You know what, we'll be back." -- Chang, who is retiring to take a job as manager of the MLB Development Center in Nanjing, China

WHAT'S NEXT

Japan: The Japanese will work out Saturday in preparation for their second-round opener against the Netherlands at 6 a.m. ET on Sunday at Tokyo Dome.

BOX SCORES

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ATTENDANCE FIGURES FROM POOL B JAPAN TOKYO DOME EXCELLENT

If they want crowds to watch these games, why put the finals in LA? They'd draw much better in Seoul or Tokyo or Santo Domingo or ??Tel Aviv.
On second though maybe LA is a good bet since there are plenty of Japanese and Koreans and Dominicans and Mexicans and Italians and Jews to root for their teams.

Civ- I still like your idea of a Vatican City team. What would the Mascot be? Nuns as cheerleaders of course.

Adam Jones lines the ball to left-center field, allowing Christian Yelich to score and give Team USA

In a game that was tight from the opening pitch of the first inning to the last one in the bottom of the 10th, the U.S. defeated Colombia, 3-2, on a walk-off single by Orioles center fielder Adam Jones.

U.S. starter Chris Archer (Rays) and Colombia starter Jose Quintana (White Sox) were each masterful to open the contest.
Archer tossed four perfect innings, striking out three on 41 pitches. Quintana dominated for 5 2/3 innings, holding U.S. batters hitless until his 63rd pitch of the game was lined for a single by Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford.

Jones' game-winning single to left-center came off Colombia reliever Guillermo Moscoso. Jones finished 2-for-5, with both U.S. RBIs. Adrian Sanchez and Mauricio Ramos hit RBI doubles for Colombia.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

No contact necessary: With the potential tying run 90 feet away and two out in the sixth, Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado struck out swinging at a William Cuevas slider in the dirt, but the ball got past Colombia catcher Jhonatan Solano. As the tying run crossed the plate, Arenado beat Solano's throw to first with a head-first slide.
Nolan Arenado strikes out swinging on a wild pitch and beats the throw to first base, while Ian Kinsler dashes home to tie the game at 2

Triple-double breakthrough: With the game scoreless (and hitless) in the fifth inning, Colombia broke through with three consecutive two-out doubles off Orioles reliever Mychal Givens to take a 2-0 lead. Jesus Valdez stroked a pitch into the gap in left-center, and that was followed by two two-baggers from Sanchez and Ramos.
Adrian Sanchez rips a double to deep center field to plate Jesus Valdez and give Colombia a 1-0 lead

Passing the stress test: Colombia put runners at first and second with one out in the eighth and the score tied at 2. Donovan Solano hit a line drive to third off Phillies reliever Pat Neshek. Arenado caught the ball and in one motion, while on the run, threw to first to double off Tito Polo.

Clutch Cuevas: In the eighth, the U.S. responded with a threat of its own, putting runners at the corners with one out against Cuevas. But the right-hander struck out Jones and got Arenado to line out to center field.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Prior to the three straight doubles against him in the fifth inning, Givens had surrendered three consecutive extra-base hits just once in his Major League career (88 appearances).

WHAT'S NEXT

Colombia: It'll be a quick turnaround as Colombia takes on Canada at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday. Canada was beaten by the Dominican Republic, 9-2, in the Pool C opener on Thursday.

United States: The U.S. will take on the defending Classic champion, the Dominican Republic, at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game at Marlins Park in Miami is sold out.

BOX SCORES

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Correa and Lindor flashing some serious leather tonight. Correa with a mammouth homer. PR leads Venezuela's power packed lineup 3-0. Some really awesome baseball being played in these games so far. It's like an all-star gala and these players all showed up. Great stuff. Yadier Molina just homered for PR. 5-0 lead. Jalisco (Mexico) PR-Ven game is sold out and Mexico is not playing tonight. Jalisco has a beautiful ball park. Brand new. You can add Baez to the mix. Nifty 4-6-3 dp at a crucial point in the ball game. Tough to see how any ground balls are going to make it through this infield. Puerto Rico hit Venezuela with a six spot in the home half of the seventh. 11-0. Game over! Puerto Rico looks very good in all aspects of the game.

In that Columbia game against the USA, Coumbia showed up with an all minor league team except for Quintana and nearly pulled off a major upset. Serious leather flashed by the Columbia outfield. I think Columbia would have had an excellent chance of winning had the game moved on to the 11th inning. That Tie breaker rule would have been in effect. Columbia was built on small ball. USA was going to counter the two on, no out situation with Andrew Miller if Columbia could have recorded that third out in the 10th inning. Turning point in this game came in the bottom of the 6th. Columbia had the 2-0 lead. USA cut the lead to 2-1. With two out, a swinging strike three got past the catcher and the tying run scored making it a 2-2 ballgame. USA was really lucky win this one.

T.J. Rivera crushes a home run to left-center field, giving Puerto Rico an 11-0 lead in the 7th and ending the game by the mercy rule

Mercy! Puerto Rico thumps Venezuela

Mets infielder T.J. Rivera launched a two-run homer to left Friday to lift Puerto Rico past Venezuela, 11-0, with two outs in the seventh inning, putting the World Baseball Classic's mercy rule in effect in Jalisco, Mexico.

The Astros' Carlos Correa and the Cardinals' Yadier Molina also homered in what developed into an offensive onslaught that puts Puerto Rico atop the Pool D standings with Italy at 1-0. Venezuela is now tied with Mexico, each at 0-1. The top two teams will advance to the second round after round-robin play is complete.

Mets righty Seth Lugo became just the second starting pitcher this WBC to reach the sixth inning, following White Sox lefty Jose Quintana's gem for Colombia against the United States in Miami earlier Friday in Pool C, with a 5 1/3 innings of one-hit ball.

"Any time you face lineups like that you've got to stay with your focus," Lugo said. "That's what you do all season. It's definitely going to help."

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, meanwhile, was credited his first World Baseball Classic loss after a 2 2/3 innings that ended with a bases-loaded walk -- something he's done just six times over his 12-year MLB career. Hernandez, who had also never given up a run in Classic competition, also reached 51 pitches, meaning he cannot pitch again in the first round.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Correa's impressive shift to third: With a slew of shortstops, including the Indians' Francisco Lindor and the Cubs' Javier Baez, Puerto Rico moved Correa to third base for the Classic, and the Astros' star made a seamless transition, with two remarkable stops.

In the fifth, Correa made a diving snag to his left to rob Salvador Perez of a hit. Then, in the sixth with Venezuela threatening to cut into Puerto Rico's 2-0 lead, Correa threw across his body to get Martin Prado on a one-hopper for the second out.

Though the play left two Venezuelans into scoring position, neither would score. Correa's homer gave Puerto Rico a 3-0 lead a half-inning later.

"He did everything," Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "With any game, we have the kind of team that any given day, somebody has got to step up, and we saw that today.
Carlos Correa makes a diving grab to rob Salvador Perez in the 5th, then lays out and throws to first to rob Martin Prado in the 6th

Lugo doesn't back down: With Lugo five pitches shy of the 65-pitch limit, Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez attempted to relieve the right-hander as he was warming up before the sixth, to no avail. The umpires informed Rodriguez that Lugo, per Classic regulations, had to make at least one pitch after warming up before being pulled.

Lugo then proceeded to notch his third strikeout, getting Alcides Escobar on a foul tip low and away off his trademark, high-spin curveball -- widely considered a Statcast™ marvel. That was the final batter of his impressive outing.

After the game, the 27-year-old was quick to share the credit with Molina, Puerto Rico's veteran backstop.

"I didn't have to worry about my game plan," Lugo said. "Just stick with him and trust what he's calling, and it made it that much easier.

"A couple times he worked on my mechanics and fixed up on that while I was out there, said we've got to slow down, not make it too nasty, just trust it and throw where my target is. It just gives you a big boost of confidence."
Seth Lugo fanned three batters over 5 1/3 scoreless frames, allowing only one hit in his winning outing against Venezuela

Yadi goes yard: Molina made his 2017 Classic debut in style, rocketing a 3-1 two-seamer into the right-center-field bleachers to give Puerto Rico a 5-0 lead. Molina, who recently bleached his hair for the Classic, was greeted by teammates emerging from the dugout, all aggressively grazing their heads as homage.

"[Beltran and Molina] are the two leaders of the team, and they enjoy being the leaders of the team, and they know it," Rodriguez said. "It's not only this, they are leaders in baseball in Puerto Rico, and there are a lot of young people that look up to them and admire them, and they want to follow their footsteps.

"Molina, Beltran, Beltran, Molina, whichever way you want to call the combination, that's what took us to the sub-championship in 2013, and that's what's carrying us in 2017."
Yadier Molina belts one over the wall in right-center field, bringing home Carlos Beltran and giving Team Puerto Rico a 5-0 lead in the 6th

Felix falls apart: Hernandez issued a bases-loaded walk with two outs to the Astros' Carlos Beltran that gave Puerto Rico a 2-0 and ended his night. Equally significant, however, were the at-bats prior. Lindor drew a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second, then Correa legged out a grounder that took an awkward hop off Prado to load the bases.

"Felix started very well. He was very quiet on the mound," Venezuela manager Omar Vizquel said. "He threw very good pitches, but he started getting into trouble when he already had 29 pitches in the inning, and then with two people on base, I'd rather not stretch him out from there, and I changed medicine. That inning was difficult for us, obviously for him. I didn't think he wanted to come out, but we have to respect the rules."
Eddie Rosario triples to right field, then T.J. Rivera lifts one to center field for a sac fly to give Puerto Rico a 1-0 lead in the 3rd

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Correa, the No. 1 overall pick by the Astros in the 2012 Draft, had never played third base at the professional level. His 544 career games spanning the Majors and Minors have all been played at shortstop.
Carlos Correa crushes a solo home run to center field to give Team Puerto Rico a 3-0 lead in the 6th inning

WHAT'S NEXT

Venezuela: Venezuela finds itself on the brink, only to be greeted by an Italy team that rallied for five runs in the ninth inning to stun Mexico, 10-9, on Thursday. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, live on MLB Network and MLB.TV.
"We have a very hard game ahead of us," Vizquel said. "You know that you have it difficult when tomorrow is do or die. We have to do everything and win that game either way."

Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico meets Mexico at 9:30 p.m. ET Saturday in a matchup that will give the winner the inside track on winning Pool D. Watch the matchup live on MLB Network and MLB.TV.

BOX SCORES

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After narrow escape, U.S. in showdown with D.R.

MIAMI -- And now, after Jose Quintana and his Colombian countrymen had us discussing the biggest upsets in World Baseball Classic history, your main event. Team USA faces the Dominican Republic powerhouse amid the cacophony of a sellout crowd fit for the World Cup (Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET on MLB.TV and MLB Network). They won't fret that they were almost 0-1. Not when they can embrace the chance to demonstrate their own excellence against Manny Machado, Robinson Cano, Adrian Beltre and other friends and teammates from across the Major Leagues. "Obviously it's the game that everybody circled on their calendar," said Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, whose 10th-inning single gave the U.S. a 3-2 victory. "It's going to be a sold-out crowd and I'm expecting noise throughout all nine innings. ... Both teams are stacked top to bottom, defensively, offensively, pitching staff."
U.S. vs. D.R. should be a doozy of a duel
Matchup of powerhouses reminds us why World Baseball Classic exists

Sure, we love the underdog adventures in this World Baseball Classic. When Team Italy stages a crazy ninth-inning rally to upset Mexico, hey, that's amore! When Team Israel and magnetic mascot "Mensch on a Bench" surprisingly get a shot at the semifinals, we all get a little verklempt. But the titans of this tourney -- in odds and in oomph -- are the United States and the Dominican Republic. So from the moment the brackets were released, there was reason to anticipate what is a sold-out clash Saturday night at Marlins Park (6:30 p.m. ET on MLB.TV and MLB Network), where the U.S. will send Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman to the mound opposite the Marlins' Edinson Volquez. And now, after Team USA's thrilling walk-off 3-2 win in the 10th inning against Colombia on Friday night, Pool C's Must-C matchup will have second-round seeding implications, should both of these clubs advance as anticipated. No doubt, the pressure is on the Americans in this tournament and particularly in this game against the defending World Baseball Classic champs. Despite hosting rights and hoopla, Team USA has never medaled in the Classic, and much is expected out of Jim Leyland's superstar-laden roster here in 2017. "We know what's at stake," Stroman said.
Cuba an elite challenge for underdog Israel
Second-round play starts Saturday at 10 p.m. ET

Team Israel's surprising World Baseball Classic story has reached its second chapter. Now it'll have to get past at least two teams with elite world standing to reach baseball's real inner circle. First up for the Israel is Team Cuba, which retains its status as a world power despite a considerably depleted national talent pool. The matchup will commence second-round play at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET (live on MLB.TV, or tape delayed at 12:30 a.m. ET Sunday on MLB Network), the first of what should be several intriguing matchups between Pool E teams Israel, Cuba, Japan and the Netherlands. That Cuba has taken a step back became apparent Thursday, when it had to fight to defeat longtime (but one-sided) rival Australia and advance out of pool play. Israel dominated play in Pool A, defeating host Korea, the Netherlands and Chinese Taipei to advance immediately in its first Classic. Cuba advanced out of pool play for the fourth time in four Classics. It reached the final once, in 2006, but it lost to Japan.

Three things to know about this game

• Classic rookie Israel rolled after a grueling 2-1 extra-inning win over Korea in the opener. By the end of pool play, Israel had outscored opponents 21-10 over three games, led by Pool A Most Valuable Player Ryan Lavarnway (.556 average, HR) and Ike Davis (.500 average).
• Alfredo Despaigne almost single-handedly sent Cuba into the second round; his grand slam Thursday accounted for all four runs in Cuba's tense 4-3 victory over Australia. He's already a star in Japan and as comfortable as any hitter on the world stage. He's a .333 hitter (15-for-45) with six home runs in 14 career Classic games.
• Each team has the option of replacing two pitchers from each round with pitchers from their Designated Pitcher Pool. For Pool E, Israel selected right-hander Brad Goldberg and lefty Jared Lakind from its DPP to replace righties Shlomo Lipetz and Gabe Kremer (injury). Cuba has not yet announced any roster moves.
Japan, Netherlands, Israel, Cuba a loaded field

Once again, the road to the World Baseball Classic championship round runs through Japan. Pool E, the first of the two groups of four countries to advance to the second round of WBC '17, was finalized early Friday morning. Japan, the winner of Pool B in the first round, will be joined by upstart Israel -- the winner of Pool A -- and Cuba and the Netherlands, the runners-up from its respective pools. The four teams will play a round-robin bracket with the top two teams moving on the championship round at Dodger Stadium. The games will be played at Tokyo Dome for a second straight World Baseball Classic, and like four years ago, Japan -- which has won two World Baseball Classics and never failed to reach the semifinals -- will be among the teams, playing on its home field. The pool features an interesting contrast between Japan and Cuba, two traditional international powerhouses that rely on players from Nippon Professional Baseball and the Serie Nacional, and Israel and the Netherlands, two newly-competitive countries on the international stage whose key players come from the Major and Minor Leagues.

The depth of Cuba's national team has been hurt by defections, but that hasn't stopped the Cubans from advancing to the second round for a fourth straight World Baseball Classic. They'll be looking for revenge against Japan, which has twice eliminated them from the World Baseball Classic -- including in the 2006 championship game -- and the Netherlands, which knocked it out in 2013. Team cornerstones like Frederich Cepeda and Alfredo Despaigne, whose six home runs each are tied for the most in World Baseball Classic history, and youngsters like Yoelqui Cespedes, Yoenis' 19-year-old brother, will try to push Cuba through to the semifinals for the first time since '06.

Israel has been one of the stories of the tournament, entering the second round an undefeated 3-0 despite having never qualified for a World Baseball Classic until this year. Team Israel, mostly MLB-affiliated Jewish Americans, has earned its spot in Pool E. With 15-year MLB veteran starter Jason Marquis and closer Josh Zeid bookending big first-round wins over Korea and the Netherlands, respectively, and production up and down the lineup from hitters like Pool A MVP Ryan Lavarnway, Ike Davis and Nate Freiman, the Israelis will try to follow their formula all the way to the championship round.

The Netherlands fell to Israel in its final game of the first round, but it has the most Major League star power of any team in Pool E. Its infield is among the best in the tournament, with All-Star Xander Bogaerts, Gold Glover Andrelton Simmons, and 20-home-run-hitters Didi Gregorius and Jonathan Schoop anchoring the lineup. Jurickson Profar also excelled in the first round, hitting .545 with a homer and a team-best 1.583 OPS. Former Major Leaguers Rick van den Hurk and Jair Jurrjens front the rotation.
Tsutsugoh named MVP of WBC '17 Pool B

TOKYO -- Before the World Baseball Classic began, Japan manager Hiroki Kokubu handed the cleanup spot in his batting order to Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh, the slugging outfielder from the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. One round into the tournament, Tsutsugoh has given Kokubu no reason to regret the decision. Tsutsugoh had yet another hit Friday, in Japan's 7-1 win over China, and with a .364 batting average and two home runs in three games, he was named Most Valuable Player of Pool B. "I don't send any signs for the cleanup guy," Kokubu said of Tsutsugoh. "His job is just get RBIs, and he just did what exactly I was expecting for him." Tsutsugoh homered in each of Japan's first two games of the tournament. His two-run shot helped put away Japan's 11-6 opening win over Cuba, and another two-run shot extended Japan's lead in a 4-1 win over Australia.

With newly bleached hair, Team Puerto Rico mercy-ruled Venezuela

Team building is important. Some companies like to have camping retreats where everyone returns to work covered in mosquito bites. Some, like the Angels, do it by breaking out of escape rooms. Team Puerto Rico decided to hop in a time machine and travel back to the '90s. What it brought back? Bleached blonde hair.

The team put the Sisqo-approved look on display during Friday's 11-0 victory against Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. While Puerto Rico was a good team before, the change in hair color definitely seemed to provide a boost. The silver-haired Yadier Molina went deep in the sixth inning.

Carlos Beltran -- no stranger to dying his hair -- decided to bleach his beard. The outfielder then proceeded to go 1-for-2 with two RBIs, while also drawing two walks.
He wasn't the only one to dye his facial hair, either. White Sox pitcher Giovanni Soto bleached his goatee.
While most of the team was sporting the new look, there were a few holdouts like Mariners reliever Edwin Diaz. As Puerto Rico won the game in seven innings thanks to the 10-run mercy rule, we'll have to wait to see if that will prove to be an unlucky decision for Diaz.

Quintana dominates Team USA bats

Team Colombia left-hander Jose Quintana was nearly flawless in 5 2/3 innings against Team USA in Round 1 of the World Baseball Classic on Friday in a 3-2, 10-inning loss at Marlins Park.

Pitching before his parents and many longtime friends, who traveled to Miami for the Pool C opener, Quintana methodically worked through a lineup full of All-Stars. He had a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings before allowing a single to Brandon Crawford, the final batter he faced.

"This could be one of his best games in professional baseball, not only for his value, because he was representing his country, but what he did with his pitching," said Colombia manager Luis Urueta.

On a 65-pitch limit in the opening round, Quintana tossed 63 pitches, 44 of them strikes. The biggest key to his success was getting ahead of hitters, as he tossed a first-pitch strike to 15 of 18 batters faced.

Urueta was especially impressed with how Quintana was able to keep Team USA hitters off balance with his fastball and changeup, and then occasionally work in his curveball.

The only other baserunner Quintana allowed was Paul Goldschmidt, who drew a leadoff walk in the second inning.

"The only way to focus was to feel the country behind me clapping for me, and with a big dream such as tonight, that's what gave me the desire to try to keep the game close," said Quintana.

Archer perfect in World Baseball Classic debut

Making his World Baseball Classic debut, fulfilling a dream more than a decade in the making, right-hander Chris Archer flamed up to 97 mph and scattered 41 pitches over four perfect innings in Team USA's 3-2 walk-off win over Colombia on Friday night at Marlins Park in Miami.

"It was amazing. It was better than I dreamed," Archer told MLB Network during the ninth inning. "That's what happens a lot. Reality surpasses dreams for the most part, for me."

After exceeding his longest perfect-game bid of 2016 by one inning, Archer exited well short of the 65-pitch threshold for pitchers in the first round, part of his conditioning agreement with the Rays while he's away from the club.

Archer complemented his heater with 15 off-speed pitches, almost solely his slider, which he delivered often in succession by throwing it repeatedly. He exploited the outside corners, mostly low and away, to a limited Colombia lineup, striking out three.

After he left the game to a throng of embraces in the dugout, he threw a cool-down session in the bullpen.

"It was tough. Looking in [manager] Jim Leyland's eyes and telling him that I had to shut it down, it was tough," Archer said. "But I'm obligated to the Tampa Bay Rays. We had a plan coming in. We knew that was a possibility. ... I'm glad [Leyland] didn't put too much pressure on me to stay in, but it was definitely tough."

Archer's Colombian counterpart, Jose Quintana, was just as impressive, hurling 5 2/3 hitless innings and leaving after giving up a single to Brandon Crawford on his 63rd pitch. Quintana became the first starting pitcher in WBC 2017 to reach the sixth inning.

Correa has an epic Classic debut
Astros star homers, makes key plays at hot corner

Carlos Correa had quite the night for Puerto Rico in Friday's 11-0 victory over Venezuela.

The Astros' shortstop contributed with both his bat and his glove, making multiple highlight-reel plays and adding home run.

"He did everything," Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "With any game, we have the kind of team that any given day, somebody has got to step up, and we saw that today."

Correa's solo shot in the sixth inning gave Puerto Rico a 3-0 lead and sparked a three-run rally as catcher Yadier Molina soon followed with a two-run blast.

Playing for his native Puerto Rico and having an impact in its Classic opener was a moment of immense pride for the young Houston star.

"Today was probably the most proud moment of my baseball career, to be able to wear my Team Puerto Rico uniform for the first time," Correa said. "It meant so much to me. It's something I've always wanted to do since I got drafted, and it's finally here."

With the Indians' Francisco Lindor and the Cubs' Javier Baez also on the roster, Correa is playing out of position at third. It appears he hasn't missed a beat, however, as he shined defensively against Venezuela.

In the fifth, Correa robbed Salvador Perez of a likely base hit with a diving catch. And in the very next inning, with his team nursing a two-run lead and runners at first and second, Correa impressed again by diving to his right to haul in a grounder along the third-base line. His throw across the diamond was just in time to secure the out and keep Venezuela off the board.

"I feel like it was the same as shortstop, just throwing from a different angle," Correa said. "I felt really comfortable. I've been working on it for the last week, and it felt natural."

GAME HIGHLIGHTS VENEZUELA VS PUERTO RICO

https://youtu.be/TLOkwosYxgQ

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