Cleveland Sports Forum

HR Julien (2, 7th inning off Zazueta 0 on, 2 Out); Naylor (1, 4th inning off Urquidy 0 on, 0 Out)
RBIJulien (2), Lopez (6), Naylor (3)

BO NAYLOR HOME RUN

https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/ ... _4000K.mp4

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Lindor shows off jets with Classic Little League homer

March 15, 2023 46 minutes ago

MIAMI --

What should’ve been a routine single turned into mayhem at loanDepot park.

In the fifth inning of Puerto Rico's eventual 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night, Francisco Lindor lined a single into center field off right-hander Yimi Garcia. The ball should’ve hopped in front of Julio Rodríguez for a one-out single.

Instead, Rodríguez misplayed the ball. It rolled all the way to the wall in center, allowing Lindor to go on one of his most memorable trips around the bases of his life. He ran 15.70 seconds from home-to-home, scoring without a throw after Ketel Marte bobbled the relay.

After touching home plate, Lindor launched his helmet up to the roof. He was mobbed by his teammates as if they were playing in the backyard as kids. It was the most appropriate way to celebrate a Little League home run.

The trip around the bases was celebrated by a loud Puerto Rican crowd in attendance. It also gave Puerto Rico a four-run lead at the time.

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USA slips past Colombia to reach quarterfinals

By Jesse Borek

12 minutes ago

PHOENIX –

Team USA entered Wednesday’s game against Colombia knowing that a win sealed them a date in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. In a lineup overflowing with superstars and a handful of likely future Hall of Famers, it was again the captain, Mike Trout, who led the way, going 3-for-4 with all three RBIs as the U.S. punched its ticket to Miami in its quest to be the last team standing by virtue of a 3-2 victory.

For all of the focus on the All-Stars, Silver Sluggers and MVPs that dot the starting nine, the fact that Team USA has assembled a bullpen unit full of fireballers and shut-down arms has gone largely under the radar. But in a one-run affair, the group of Kendall Graveman, Daniel Bard, David Bednar, Jason Adam, Devin Williams and Ryan Pressly held the line, holding the Colombian lineup to just two singles with nine strikeouts.

Next up for the United States is a clash with Venezuela (Sat., 7 p.m. ET, FOX), which swept its way through Pool D. From this point forward, all 2023 World Baseball Classic games will be single elimination contests, meaning the U.S. will need to reel off three straight wins in order to be crowned back-to-back champions.

For Colombia (1-3), the defeat is a disappointing end to a 2023 Classic that began with significant promise. Despite owning the lone victory over the winners of Pool C (Mexico, 3-1), Colombia will have to enter the qualifying stage in hopes of returning to the WBC in 2026. Great Britain (1-3), whose Cinderella story led to them earning a spot in Arizona, has qualified for the next iteration of the World Baseball Classic by virtue of its win over Colombia on Monday.

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Ohtani, Darvish work in tandem to send Japan to semis

March 16, 2023 10:39 AM CDT

TOKYO --

Thirteen years. It had been 13 years and 242 Major League starts since the last time Yu Darvish was called out of the bullpen. The last time it happened, the right-hander was a 23-year-old stud for the Nippon-Ham Fighters who dreamt of pitching in the Major Leagues.

Facing Italy in the quarterfinals on Thursday night, with a win sending the team to Miami and a spot in the semis, manager Hideki Kuriyama turned to Team Japan’s star veteran -- who has become a mentor to the young pitchers around him -- in Japan’s 9-3 victory.

"[Darvish] joined from the beginning on Day 1, he is the guy that always [puts himself first] for the team ... he always does things for the future, not the present," said Kuriyama when asked about Darvish being a mentor to pitchers such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who's won the Sawamura Award -- Japan's highest pitching honor -- twice.

Even though Japan held a five-run lead in the seventh inning when the Padres starter entered, Kuriyama wasn’t taking any chances. Must-win games can fall apart in a hurry if you give your opposition even the slightest opening, and Japan was taking no chances.

"There's a large gap, like a 9-3 score, but no matter who pitched to Team Italy, they almost never swing and miss," Kuriyama said. "They swing really hard. ... It was a tough game from the beginning. Like I mentioned yesterday or the day before, this game was an all-in game."

Darvish quickly struck out the first batter he faced on his way to retiring Italy in order. He gave up a home run to Dominic Fletcher in the eighth, but he was otherwise spotless in his two frames. Pairing him with Shohei Ohtani (4 2/3 innings, two runs, one walk, five strikeouts; 1-for-2 with two runs as a hitter) is the kind of unfair advantage that makes you wonder if Japan will drop a game in the World Baseball Classic.

"You need momentum to come back from a deficit like that," Italy manager Mike Piazza said. "You need two or three hits, a walk and then maybe a big hit and ... that's what you need. But again, that's putting ourselves in a hole which is difficult. ... It's just a very difficult task to come back like that."

Darvish and Ohtani may get the headlines in the win, but it was Team Japan’s most overlooked player who did the biggest damage. On a loaded roster featuring players like Ohtani, Lars Nootbaar, new Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida and the record-setting Munetaka Murakami, it’s been easy to forget that Kazuma Okamoto is a two-time All-Star with five consecutive seasons of 30-plus home runs.

Playing in front of his usual hometown crowd, the Yomiuri Giants slugger smashed a three-run home run in the bottom of the third and added a two-run double in the fifth to help put Italy away.

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Puerto Rico ousts D.R., but mood subdued after Díaz injury

By Juan Toribio

March 16, 2023 1:22 AM EDT

MIAMI -- The spectacle began 90 minutes before first pitch. As the gates opened, a sea of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans filled loanDepot park.

“Dominicana! Dominicana!” chanted the loud Dominican crowd, banging on drums and playing güira, a popular percussion instrument that originates from the island.

“Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico!” screams came from another bunch. They, too, banged on drums and jumped up and down as they used a megaphone so their chants could pack an extra punch.

Wednesday’s game between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico lived up to its enormous hype. The level of play on the field was unrivaled. It seems impossible to find another baseball game that had more passion and louder decibel levels coming from the 36,025 fans in the stands.

In the end, it was Puerto Rico that earned a bid into the quarterfinals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, outdueling the Dominican Republic, 5-2, and setting up a date with Pool C winner Mexico on Friday at 7 p.m. on FS1. The loud party in the stands, however, quickly turned into silence and fear as Edwin Díaz was taken off the field in a wheelchair after suffering a right knee injury during the postgame celebration. The 28-year-old Mets closer will undergo further testing on Thursday.

“Quiet,” Puerto Rico center fielder Kiké Hernández described the postgame clubhouse. “As excited as we were about the game and all, it’s one of our brothers and some of us grew together and all that. … It definitely doesn’t feel like we just beat the Dominican Republic to advance.”

The postgame scene was as unfortunate as it gets following Díaz’s injury. Francisco Lindor was visibly upset on the field. As was Díaz’s brother, Alexis. There was a sense of disbelief from the Dominican dugout as Robinson Canó and others watched from afar with their hands over their heads.


Díaz’s injury was a very unfortunate way to end what was otherwise some of the best baseball ever played, especially for a game in the middle of March, a time when players are still ramping up for the regular season during Spring Training.

“There was a lot of energy,” Hernández said. “On paper maybe they had a better team than ours, but we played better. We made it. We advanced and we were able to beat the Dominican Republic.”

Johnny Cueto got the start for the Dominican Republic and he got the crowd on its feet early. He shimmied and threw strikes, as he does, and needed just nine pitches to get through the first inning. In the third, however, the Puerto Rico lineup punched back.

Christian Vázquez launched a homer off Cueto to lead off the third to give Puerto Rico a 1-0 lead. Lindor and Hernández each followed with RBI singles. MJ Melendez then put the finishing touches on the four-run frame with an RBI groundout to drive in Lindor.

n the bottom half, Juan Soto answered for the Dominican Republic, sending its fans into a frenzy. He launched a solo homer that hit the base of the batter’s eye in center field. The blast traveled 448 feet and had an exit velocity of 110.2 mph.

Puerto Rico, as it did all night, responded. What was supposed to be a routine one-out single to center field turned into a memorable trip around the bases for Lindor. Julio Rodríguez, who later made a spectacular play in center, let the ball get past him, allowing it to roll all the way to the wall. Lindor sprinted around the bases and scored without a throw. He launched his helmet.

“El Apagon,” a song from world-famous artist Bad Bunny, who is from Puerto Rico, blasted through the speakers at loanDepot park. Simultaneously, the Puerto Rican fans in attendance sang along as their team celebrated the Little League homer like kids near home plate.

The Dominican Republic’s best chance at a comeback came in the bottom half of the fifth. Francisco Mejía and Soto drew walks to lead off the inning. Rodríguez followed with a single to load the bases with nobody out. The Dominican Republic had exactly who they wanted at the plate in Manny Machado and Rafael Devers. Machado grounded into a double play. Devers, who went 0-for-9 in the two games vs. Venezuela and Puerto Rico, popped up to end the threat with just one run across.

“I accept all the criticism,” said Dominican Republic’s manager Rodney Linares. “To me the players went out and did their best. Puerto Rico just played a great game. They pitched well, made great plays. There’s nobody to blame.”

There might not be anyone to blame for the D.R., but this will now go down as one of the biggest disappointments in tournament history, but most important, in the history of the country. The ’09 team also failed to get past the group stage after losing to upstart Netherlands twice. This Dominican Republic team was even more talented than the one 14 years ago, but bowed out of the tournament after just four games.

“At the end of the day, one team has to win and another has to lose,” Soto said. “We came here with the right mentality, but the result just didn’t go our way. They played good baseball and sometimes you have to tip your cap and recognize what they did.”

Puerto Rico did everything to win the game. They got timely hitting and unbelievable pitching against a tough lineup. An injury to Díaz was the unfortunate part of an otherwise perfect night for the Puerto Ricans. The streets of San Juan will be talking about this one for a very long time.

“I think this pool raised the importance of this tournament,” Hernández said. “We came away with the team and it’s OK to us that three of the best teams were in the same pool. It was important for us to face them and had to beat the best teams.”

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STAR HURT Edwin Diaz WBC injury updates — Mets superstar gave tearful message to his team ahead of surgery by Dr. David Altchek

Amanda CastroJennifer KornMatthew Aquino

Updated: 19:30 ET, Mar 16 2023

METS all-star closer Edwin Díaz was wounded during Team Puerto Rico's postgame celebration and was wheeled off the field, prompting teammates and fellow players to worry.

This comes after PUR's 5-2 victory over the Dominican Republic during the World Baseball Classic.

As they saw the right-hander depart the field in a wheelchair, Puerto Rico's players, notably Díaz's brother, relief pitcher Alexis of the Cincinnati Reds, were inconsolable.

Diaz addressed the team afterward with a tearful message and Vimael Machín described the speech by saying: “Tears were streaming down his face when he told us that we have the talent and the heart to win it all. We were all also in tears and we said to ourselves we must now win, not only for Puerto Rico but for Edwin and his family," Marly Rivera reported.

The New York Mets recently revealed on Twitter that Díaz underwent imaging that uncovered a tear of his right knee's patellar tendon. He will be having surgery today, performed by Dr. David Altchek.

Díaz, who signed a five-year, $102million contract with the Mets last year, will have imaging on Thursday.

“It comes to a certain point that it gets bigger than the game and something very unfortunate happened,” Kiké Hernández, Puerto Rico center fielder, told reporters after the game.

Diaz set for surgery

The New York Mets released a statement on their Twitter updating fans on Edwin Diaz's injury.

The tweet reads: "Edwin Díaz underwent imaging today that revealed a full-thickness tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee. He will have surgery today performed by Dr. David Altchek."

'WBC means just as much'

Francisco Lindor commented on the injury Edwin Diaz sustained and what the World Baseball Classic means to international players.

In an interview with ESPN Lindor said: “I understand how Mets fans are hurting. But while for so many people the regular season is what counts, playing in the WBC means just as much to all of us..."

The Mets superstar will undergo surgery today with Dr. Dr. David Altchek.

Mets looking into a new closer

Mets closer Edwin Diaz is likely done for the season after undergoing surgery to repair his torn patellar tendon in his right knee on Thursday, the Mets could be looking for his replacement though.

On Thursday, the Mets were one of the teams in attendance for left-hander Zack Britton's simulated game in California, Pat Ragazzo reported.

The Mets reportedly had an interest in the left-hander even before the Edwin Diaz injury.

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The 6 biggest Classic storylines left to follow

By Will Leitch @williamfleitch

March 16, 2023 12:50 PM EDT

After Japan’s 9-3 victory on Thursday, joining Cuba in the World Baseball Classic semifinals, the tournament now has only six teams left.

On Friday night Mexico will play Puerto Rico in Miami for the right to play Japan on Monday, and then on Saturday the United States will square off against Venezuela (also in Miami) with the winner facing Cuba on Sunday.

Watch the World Baseball Classic live on FOX, FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes and Tubi
Long story short: This thing is coming down to the wire now. It only gets more fun from here.

So, to reset before the weekend’s action, here’s a look at the major storyline for each of the six teams remaining.

Puerto Rico: Can they recover from the devastating Díaz injury?

Up until the moment Edwin Díaz collapsed underneath several of his celebrating countrymen, Puerto Rico had to think that maybe this was their year. After two consecutive second-place finishes in the WBC, the team this year had thrown a perfect game, knocked out the vaunted Dominican Republic team and set up a fascinating matchup with Mexico for the right to go to the semifinals. It was noteworthy how well manager Yadier Molina, a man long thought to be managerial material but doing this for the first time, had set up his bullpen and roster; it was all going exactly to plan. And then Díaz went down. That’s obviously going to be a problem for the Mets, but it’s a problem for Puerto Rico too, and not just because the team is now down its closer. How does a team rebound emotionally from such whiplash? They have roughly 40 hours to figure it out.


Mexico: Is Randy Arozarena on another one of his heaters?

Randy Arozarena has established himself as an impressive MLB regular with the Rays -- he did win the Rookie of the Year award a couple of years ago, after all -- but he’ll forever be known for his 2020 postseason, when he basically turned into Babe Ruth and carried the Rays into the World Series. It sure looks like he’s back at it again in the WBC. He is tied with Japan’s Masataka Yoshida for most RBIs in the tournament (9), and is only three RBIs behind the all-time record of 12, held by Wladimir Balentien (2017 Classic). He’s already become a clear folk hero in Mexico, and a trip to the semifinals could elevate him to legendary status. There may be nothing scarier than Arozarena in a short series.


Venezuela: Is Miggy going to go out a champion?

Only two teams have been undefeated in the WBC so far: The white-hot sensation that is the Japanese team, and the Venezuelan team, which only made it to the semifinals once, back in 2009. That team featured Magglio Ordonez, Bobby Abreu, Francisco Rodriguez, Endy Chavez, Felix Hernandez and … Miguel Cabrera, who, 14 years later, is captain of the team. He is also, as you might have heard, about to play his final season in the Majors, which means he’s got the opportunity to bookend his career: A World Series title with the Marlins in his rookie season in 2003 and a WBC title with Venezuela in 2023. He has only played two games in the Classic so far, going 1-for-9, but he’ll definitely have the opportunity to finish off his career in style.


United States: Is Trout going to carry the USA all the way?

This is Mike Trout’s first WBC -- after missing the 2017 championship, something he still regrets -- and he is making the most of it. The team captain is hitting .417 and has a homer and six RBIs, looking for all the world like a guy who is absolutely elated, after eight years away from high-stakes elimination baseball, to play under some legitimate pressure. I’ve argued that this could end up being The Year of Trout, and there’d be no better way to kick that off than with Trout winning a WBC for the United States. He looks for all the world like a man on a mission. It’s something to see.


Cuba: Is this team -- the first one with MLB players -- the one that finally breaks through?

Back in 2006, the Cuban team, which because of Cuban’s political situation at the time, had a roster full of players almost no one knew outside the country, finished second to Japan in the first-ever World Baseball Classic. (Future Major Leaguers on that team included Yuli Gurriel and Alexei Ramirez.) This year’s team, which, for the first time, features players both from Cuban leagues and Major League Baseball (most notably Yoán Moncada and Luis Robert Jr.), is back in the semifinals for the first time since 2006. They have hardly been dominant in this tournament -- they were part of that five-team scrum at 2-2 in Group A -- but it doesn’t matter what you’ve done so far: All Cuba has to do is win two games in a row, and they will make history as only the fourth country to win the World Baseball Classic.


Japan: Can this team be stopped?

Is it possible this Japanese team has the most dominant team in WBC history? They’re undefeated in five games, sure, but they’ve absolutely trounced their opponents, outscoring them 47-11. They’ve got the most electric player on the planet in Shohei Ohtani, they have a folk hero (who also is putting up a .522 OBP) in Lars Nootbaar (the first non-Japanese-born player on their roster), they’ve got a lineup full of mashers and, oh yeah, they’re even stealing more bases than anybody else in the tournament. They’ve also been a riveting watch from start to finish, thanks to Tokyo Dome fans who clearly live and die with their home country’s team. Can they bring all the joy with them on the flight to Miami? If Japan can win these last two games, they’ll have won three of the five World Baseball Classics. But when they talk about the best Japanese teams … I bet they’ll talk about this one.


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It's Puerto Rico vs. Mexico in quarterfinals clash (Fri., 7 p.m. ET, FS1)

Winner earns date with Japan in semis

March 16, 2023 6:48 PM CDT

Puerto Rico looks to continue its pursuit to the World Baseball Classic championship round for a second straight tournament as it faces Mexico in the 2023 quarterfinals on Friday.

Mexico, the Pool C winner, will be the home team for the winner-take-all matchup against Puerto Rico, the Pool D runner-up, at loanDepot park in Miami.

Puerto Rico is coming off an emotional win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday in which they clinched a spot in the quarterfinals, only to lose star closer Edwin Díaz when he suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee during the postgame celebration. Mexico took Pool C over the United States thanks to their head-to-head victory vs. Team USA, and the team will send ace Julio Urías to the mound for the quarterfinal game.

Japan awaits the Puerto Rico-Mexico winner in the WBC semifinals.

Here’s what you need to know about Friday's matchup:

When and where:

7 p.m. ET on Friday at loanDepot park in Miami.

How you can watch:

The Puerto Rico-Mexico quarterfinal will be live on FS1 and can be streamed online in the FOX Sports App. For international viewing options, click here.

How you can listen:

Live audio coverage of all games will be carried on Sirius XM, TuneIn, MLB.com and in the MLB App.

What’s at stake:

A berth in the WBC '23 semifinals and a showdown with Samurai Japan. Every game at the World Baseball Classic is now single elimination, so it's win or go home. Puerto Rico made it to the finals vs. Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, finishing as the tournament runner-up. This is Mexico's first time advancing past the first round since the 2009 Classic -- and they've never made it to the championship round.

Matchup history:

Puerto Rico and Mexico have only faced off once in the World Baseball Classic, in 2017. Puerto Rico defeated Mexico, 9-4, in pool play. Francisco Lindor homered twice in the win, and Javier Báez went deep as well. Both are back on Team Puerto Rico in 2023.

Key players to watch:

Randy Arozarena, LF, Mexico:

Arozarena is having a monster tournament. He posted a .500/.632/1.071 slash line with a 1.703 OPS during pool play, going 7-for-14 with a home run, five doubles and nine RBIs.

Francisco Lindor, SS, Puerto Rico:

Lindor led the way for Puerto Rico in pool play, batting .467 (7-for-15) with a triple. He was a difference-maker in the win over the Dominican Republic, and he has the WBC track record vs. Mexico with the pair of homers he hit in the 2017 matchup.

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Eloy raves about 'crazy' Classic atmosphere

After repping DR, Jiménez praises intense international rivalries, shifts focus to spring camp

March 17, 2023 14 minutes ago

GLENDALE, Ariz. --

Eloy Jiménez could have received a day or two to relax and recover following his competition for the Dominican Republic in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

But there was Jiménez hitting cleanup and at designated hitter for the White Sox in Friday afternoon’s 4-4 tie with the Cubs at Camelback Ranch after returning to Arizona Thursday.

“We are here,” said a smiling Jiménez. “Why not? I need to get ready for the season."

“I was going to give him a day off, and he was like, ‘I want to play,’” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “So all right, let’s play.”

Jiménez went 5-for-11 with one double and two RBIs over three games for the Dominican Republic, which ended at 2-2 in Pool D competition and did not advance despite being a pre-WBC favorite of numerous prognosticators to win the championship. The 26-year-old looked a bit wistful when briefly talking about Venezuela and Puerto Rico finishing above the Dominican Republic, but also raved about the competition.



Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to Puerto Rico didn’t have the desired results, but Jiménez called it one of the best games he’s ever played in. The White Sox rivalries with the Twins and Guardians are intense but pale in comparison.

“That was way, way, way, way, way different,” Jiménez said. “Not even when we play against the Cubs. The Cubs and White Sox have a rivalry, [but] Puerto Rico and Dominican have that rivalry outside of the field. It was crazy. I would say that is the best game I have ever played, one of the best games I have ever been in. Hate to lose, but they played well too. Credit to them.”

“He had a great experience down there,” Grifol said. “That was a really good experience for him and for these guys that are playing in the WBC right now. I’m happy they got this opportunity.”

Tim Anderson, Lance Lynn, Kendall Graveman (Team USA), Luis Robert, Yoán Moncada (Cuba) and José Ruiz (Venezuela) continue on in WBC play and remain away from White Sox camp. Jiménez came back to Cactus League action at the right time, with a full house in attendance Friday and another one anticipated at home Saturday vs. the Dodgers.

Otherwise, he would have to adjust from the frenzied WBC stadium crowds, with Jiménez shaking his head and laughing over some of the things he heard from the fired up and supportive fans during the games.

“There were a lot of people there, and the world was watching the games, so it was good,” Jiménez said. “I just feel really good. The field was packed, so it was crazy. All the guys, even with all the fans, it was great.”

The noticeably lighter Jimenez, who dropped approximately 25-30 pounds before the start of camp, doubled in his first at-bat Friday against the Cubs. He didn’t want to say anything about how the offseason preparation and weight loss have paid off beyond a desire to keep working.

When considering his 17 at-bats over four games in the 2021 American League Division Series loss to Houston, Jiménez gave the edge to the World Baseball Classic regarding overall meaning and intensity. He’s representing his country, after all, which is something he would like to do again.

As for comparing the WBC to the World Series? Well, Jiménez has no frame of reference in that category. At least, not yet.

“When I play in one, I will let you know, because I don’t have the experience of playing. I don’t know how to compare that,” Jiménez said of the World Series. “I know the World Baseball Classic was fun. Something I will never forget, but not the result I wanted. Now we’re here, getting ready for the season, and that’s the most important thing.”

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Adames: Classic experience 'maybe above' World Series

March 17, 2023 1 minute ago

SURPRISE, Ariz. --

If there were any doubt what the World Baseball Classic means to players from around the globe, listen to Willy Adames after he returned to Brewers camp on Friday morning after representing the Dominican Republic.

“For us, it’s in our blood,” Adames said. “We live for this. We love the game. This is what we do since we are babies. Since we were in the belly of our mother, we feel baseball.

“They have so many sports going on [in the United States]. They have basketball, they have American football. Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans, we have baseball. That’s what we have.”

Adames played in the 2020 World Series with the Rays. How did his Classic experience compare?

“I mean, it would have to be tied with the World Series. Maybe above. Maybe,” Adames said. “But it was just incredible. It was different, way different.”

The Classic didn’t go the way Adames drew it up. He played in only one of four games for the Dominican Republic, which juggled Adames, the Astros’ Jeremy Peña and the Rays’ Wander Franco at shortstop. With such a stacked roster, the Dominicans expected to play beyond the first round, but they were eliminated after going 2-2 in Pool D in Miami, with Venezuela and Puerto Rico advancing.



Red Sox star was in DH role for Dominican Republic: 'The games were very, very intense'

FORT MYERS, Fla. --

Representing the Dominican Republic on an international stage for the first time is something Rafael Devers, will never forget.

“It was a great experience, a really good experience for me,” Devers said. “I'm very happy that I had the opportunity to represent my country. The games were very, very intense, very motivational for me, and I felt happy to be able to represent my country.”

Devers, who served as the cleanup hitter and DH for a squad that had Manny Machado at third base, went 2-for-16 with two walks and no RBIs.

If the performance by Devers was forgettable, there were parts of the experience that the left-handed-hitting slugger will remember for a long time. What stood out the most was the electric crowd in Miami.

“There was a moment where I couldn't hear anybody beside me,” Devers said. “That’s a really beautiful moment for us as players, when you have so many people cheering for you and be as loud as they were.”

The moments he got to bond with other stars from his country was another perk of the experience.

“It was a great experience to be able to share a clubhouse with those guys, with [Juan] Soto, with Machado, with Jeremy Peña. Those are guys that you would like to share your clubhouse with or your team with at any moment, and it was a really great experience for me,” Devers said.



Back and blasting: Peña homers twice in return from Classic

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- If you couldn’t tell, Jeremy Peña has been playing a little bit.

The Astros’ shortstop made that abundantly clear on Friday, when he homered twice in Houston’s 11-7 loss to the Nationals at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in his first game back from the World Baseball Classic.

“It was a great time,” Peña said of the Classic. “I had a blast seeing countries go at it. I've never seen an environment like that, with all the drums and the flags, the waving of the flags. It was a pretty cool experience.”

Though Peña is disappointed by the highly touted Dominican club’s early tournament exit, the Astros are relieved to have him and other key contributors back in camp, particularly after Mets closer Edwin Díaz suffered a potentially season-ending right knee injury while celebrating Puerto Rico’s advance. What befell Díaz is a concern for all teams sending players to the Classic, and the Astros, who had 14 participating players, did request that prized starter Framber Valdez not participate, in part due to injury risk.

But for Peña and many others, the opportunity to represent their country on the international stage trumped any inherent injury risk, making the choice to play an easy one. It’s a perspective Astros manager Dusty Baker respects and understands, even if with regards to Peña, the focus now shifts toward being ready for Opening Day.



MLB Pipeline | Top 100 prospects

With all of the ranked prospects now eliminated from the tournament, here's a look back at some of the standouts.

We love the World Baseball Classic because of the big-name stars: Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Randy Arozarena are among those who have stood out, as expected.

It’s arguable, however, that one of the top storylines of the WBC so far has been the play of the multitude of prospects who were included on their country’s roster. From players on the Top 100 to others on their organization’s Top 30 and even unranked gems, the sport’s future has been on full display.

Harry Ford becomes royalty

Great Britain’s home run celebration -- involving the presentation of a crown and robe -- holds no official weight in the United Kingdom, but Harry Ford may be on his way to actually becoming knighted in the future.

One of three Top 100 prospects participating in the tournament, Ford (No. 49) led his squad with two home runs and a 1.246 OPS in four games. That came on the heels of his WBC Qualifiers performance last September, where he hit three long balls in as many games.

Ford’s play made him a fan favorite across the pond, setting him up to be one to watch in the 2026 edition of the Classic -- which Great Britain qualified for when the United States beat Colombia on the final day of Pool D play and ensured the Brits would not finish last in the group. At that point, the Mariners' top prospect should have substantial Major League time under his belt.

Canada’s young hitters step up

No team entered the WBC rostering more prospects than Canada, which boasted seven players ranked on a team Top 30 list. Leading the pack was Bo Naylor, the Guardians backstop who ranks No. 64 on the Top 100.

The Canadians’ six home runs were the most in pool play among the eight teams based in the United States. Surprising? Yes. Even more shocking -- none came off the bats of powerful Major Leaguers Freddie Freeman and Tyler O’Neill. Instead, five of the six were hit by ranked prospects: two by Edouard Julien (Twins No. 4) and one each by Naylor, Owen Caissie (Cubs No. 13) and Otto Lopez (Blue Jays No. 14).

Julien went deep on the first pitch of his first plate appearance in the tournament, a sign of things to come. Each component of his triple slash -- .538/.667/1.154 -- led all prospects in pool play, and his 1.821 OPS was tops in the entire tournament at the point of Canada's elimination.

Other notable offensive performances

The highest ranked of the three Top 100 prospects in the WBC, Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick (No. 30), hit an impressive .329/.421/.556 with three doubles in four group games to lead Italy out of Pool A and into the quarterfinals, where the team fell to Japan.

Jose Ramos (Dodgers No. 23) was one of Panama’s strongest performers in pool play, hitting .313 with one of the team’s two home runs. The 22-year-old drilled 25 homers in the Los Angeles system last season.

Tsung-Che Cheng (Pirates No. 30) did a little bit of everything for Chinese Taipei from clutch hitting and speed on the bases, legging out a triple, to even laying down a bunt for a hit and showing off strong defense up the middle.



Zuñiga introduces himself to the world

Eyebrows may have been raised when the Cardinals signed right-hander Guillermo Zuñiga to a Major League contract in December. After all, this was a pitcher who posted a 4.77 ERA in 2022 at Double-A -- a level he was repeating.

It took about two pitches into Zuñiga’s first outing for Colombia for the signing to make sense. The 24-year-old hit 100 mph 10 times, topping out at 102 during that game against Mexico in which he locked down the save. Between his two appearances Zuñiga struck out six of the 11 batters he faced, including Trout and Paul Goldschmidt in Colombia's final game in Pool C.

Heartwarming moments

Some of the best moments from the opening round of the tournament didn’t come from ranked prospects. In fact, one of them wasn’t even a Minor League player until after his WBC debut.

Duque Hebbert entered the WBC as a 21-year-old reliever for Nicaragua without any experience in affiliated baseball. After striking out three of the Dominican Republic’s most-feared hitters -- Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez and Rafael Devers -- Hebbert left the stadium that night as the newest member of the Detroit Tigers organization. Following the outing, a scout tracked him down and offered him a contract on the spot.

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MORNING NEWS AND NOTES

Japan is headed to the WBC Semifinals

Cleveland Guardians news and notes for Friday, March 17, 2023

By Matt Lyons Mar 17, 2023, 9:09am EDT

Your last chance to watch a Guardian in the World Baseball Classic might come tomorrow night when USA takes on Venezuela. It’s there you’ll get to see Andrés Giménez man shortstop on an absolutely stacked Venezuelan team as they attempt to stop Mike Trout and the supposed USA juggernaut.

Well, the USA team was supposed to be a force in the tournament, but they haven't looked all that intimidating outside of one massive inning against Canada. So maybe after tomorrow night, we’ll all be rooting for Giménez and his teammates in the final two rounds.

Obviously, with most of the field eliminated, fewer games are being played, but yesterday Japan advanced with a 9-3 win over Italy. Shohei Ohtani allowed a pair of runs on the mound in 4.2 innings, but struck out five and recorded a hit at the plate.

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The 6 biggest Classic storylines left to follow

March 16th, 2023

After Japan’s 9-3 victory on Thursday, joining Cuba in the World Baseball Classic semifinals, the tournament now has only six teams left.

On Friday night Mexico will play Puerto Rico in Miami for the right to play Japan on Monday, and then on Saturday the United States will square off against Venezuela (also in Miami) with the winner facing Cuba on Sunday.

Long story short: This thing is coming down to the wire now. It only gets more fun from here.

So, to reset before the weekend’s action, here’s a look at the major storyline for each of the six teams remaining.

Puerto Rico: Can they recover from the devastating Díaz injury?

Up until the moment Edwin Díaz collapsed underneath several of his celebrating countrymen, Puerto Rico had to think that maybe this was their year. After two consecutive second-place finishes in the WBC, the team this year had thrown a perfect game, knocked out the vaunted Dominican Republic team and set up a fascinating matchup with Mexico for the right to go to the semifinals. It was noteworthy how well manager Yadier Molina, a man long thought to be managerial material but doing this for the first time, had set up his bullpen and roster; it was all going exactly to plan. And then Díaz went down. That’s obviously going to be a problem for the Mets, but it’s a problem for Puerto Rico too, and not just because the team is now down its closer. How does a team rebound emotionally from such whiplash? They have roughly 40 hours to figure it out.

Mexico: Is Randy Arozarena on another one of his heaters?

Randy Arozarena has established himself as an impressive MLB regular with the Rays -- he did win the AL Rookie of the Year award a couple of years ago, after all -- but he’ll forever be known for his 2020 postseason, when he basically turned into Babe Ruth and carried the Rays into the World Series. It sure looks like he’s back at it again in the WBC. He is tied with Japan’s Masataka Yoshida for most RBIs in the tournament (9), and is only three RBIs behind the all-time record of 12, held by Wladimir Balentien (2017 Classic). He’s already become a clear folk hero in Mexico, and a trip to the semifinals could elevate him to legendary status. There may be nothing scarier than Arozarena in a short series.

Venezuela: Is Miggy going to go out a champion?

Only two teams have been undefeated in the WBC so far: The white-hot sensation that is the Japanese team, and the Venezuelan team, which only made it to the semifinals once, back in 2009. That team featured Magglio Ordonez, Bobby Abreu, Francisco Rodriguez, Endy Chavez, Felix Hernandez and … Miguel Cabrera, who, 14 years later, is captain of the team. He is also, as you might have heard, about to play his final season in the Majors, which means he’s got the opportunity to bookend his career: A World Series title with the Marlins in his rookie season in 2003 and a WBC title with Venezuela in 2023. He has only played two games in the Classic so far, going 1-for-9, but he’ll definitely have the opportunity to finish off his career in style.

United States: Is Trout going to carry the USA all the way?

This is Mike Trout’s first WBC -- after missing the 2017 championship, something he still regrets -- and he is making the most of it. The team captain is hitting .417 and has a homer and six RBIs, looking for all the world like a guy who is absolutely elated, after eight years away from high-stakes elimination baseball, to play under some legitimate pressure. I’ve argued that this could end up being The Year of Trout, and there’d be no better way to kick that off than with Trout winning a WBC for the United States. He looks for all the world like a man on a mission. It’s something to see.

Cuba: Is this team -- the first one with MLB players -- the one that finally breaks through?

Back in 2006, the Cuban team, which because of Cuban’s political situation at the time, had a roster full of players almost no one knew outside the country, finished second to Japan in the first World Baseball Classic. (Future Major Leaguers on that team included Yuli Gurriel and Alexei Ramirez.) This year’s team, which, for the first time, features players both from Cuban leagues and Major League Baseball (most notably Yoán Moncada and Luis Robert Jr.), is back in the semifinals for the first time since 2006. They have hardly been dominant in this tournament -- they were part of that five-team scrum at 2-2 in Group A -- but it doesn’t matter what you’ve done so far: All Cuba has to do is win two games in a row, and they will make history as only the fourth country to win the World Baseball Classic.

Japan: Can this team be stopped?

Is it possible this Japanese team has the most dominant team in WBC history? They’re undefeated in five games, sure, but they’ve absolutely trounced their opponents, outscoring them 47-11. They’ve got the most electric player on the planet in Shohei Ohtani, they have a folk hero (who also is putting up a .522 OBP) in Lars Nootbaar (the first non-Japanese-born player on their roster), they’ve got a lineup full of mashers and, oh yeah, they’re even stealing more bases than anybody else in the tournament. They’ve also been a riveting watch from start to finish, thanks to Tokyo Dome fans who clearly live and die with their home country’s team. Can they bring all the joy with them on the flight to Miami? If Japan can win these last two games, they’ll have won three of the five World Baseball Classics. But when they talk about the best Japanese teams … I bet they’ll talk about this one.


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World Baseball Classic sets Japanese TV record that beats U.S. Super Bowl LVII household rating

48 percent of Japanese households reportedly watched the Japan-Italy game.

By Andrew Bucholtz on 03/17/2023

While the World Baseball Classic has been called a “meaningless exhibition” by certain pundits like Keith Olbermann, it’s certainly not viewed that way everywhere. One country where the interest has been particularly strong is Japan. The Japanese team’s 9-3 quarterfinal win over Italy in Tokyo (which they’re seen celebrating above) was reportedly watched by 48 percent of all Japanese households, which is a higher household number than Super Bowl LVII drew in the U.S. for Fox this year (a 40 household rating, which is based on TV households, not overall households; the overall household percentage would be about 38 percent), and which is a Japanese record:


48.0% of Japanese households watched the Japan-Italy Quarterfinals game on TV last night, an all-time record for any WBC game.
This was the 5th consecutive game where over 40% of the country watched Samurai Japan play.

That article spells out that the 48 percent is indeed an average household number, not a peak (which was 54.5 percent). It also notes that the previous record of 44.4 percent was set in the Japan-Korea WBC pool play game on March 10.

Of course, the raw viewer numbers here would still favor the Super Bowl in the U.S., as the overall U.S. household numbers are much higher. There were an estimated 131 million total U.S. households as of January 2022, and there are an estimated 123.8 million TV households currently. So the 40 HH rating translates into averages of about 50 million households and about 113 million viewers. (A separate NFL-commissioned Nielsen survey with a different methodology estimated an average of 136 million viewers, but that isn’t easily comparable to more traditional ratings approaches.)

Meanwhile, Japan had 55.6 million households in 2021, so 48 percent of households is in the realm of 26 to 27 million households. That would be around 60 million viewers if using a U.S. household to viewer conversion estimate; different conditions in Japan might make that not exactly applicable. But it’s certainly impressive to see the percentage of the country tuning in for not just this particular game, but for all of the Japanese games to date. And it should be noted that it’s not just Japan that cares about this; Puerto Rico also posted remarkable share numbers.

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Mexico's 3-run 7th sets up date with Japan in semifinals

March 17, 2023 8 minutes ago

MIAMI --

As Mexico outfielder Alex Verdugo sat at the press conference podium on Friday afternoon at loanDepot park, he summed up the action that was about to transpire between Mexico and Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal matchup later that evening.

"Everybody's ready to go out there and play our hearts out," Verdugo said. "Baseball, anything can happen."

In this case, "anything" meant just about "everything" in an electric back-and-forth battle that kept a stadium on its feet until Mexico prevailed, 5-4, to advance to the semifinals against Japan (Monday, 7 p.m. ET, FS1).

A game that began with back-to-back home runs in the first inning by Team Puerto Rico veterans Javier Báez and Eddie Rosario culminated with clutch hitting in the seventh by 24-year-old Isaac Paredes and 25-year-old Luis Urías of Team Mexico.

Throw in Randy Arozarena making a leaping catch at the warning track on a ball hit by Emmanuel Rivera in the eighth and Puerto Rico rallying to put runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth before Giovanny Gallegos clinched the save to echo Verdugo’s sentiments.

The last time Mexico and Puerto Rico competed in WBC action was March 11, 2017. Puerto Rico won, 9-4, in Guadalajara.

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USA's title defense meets 4-0 Venezuela for spot in semis (Sat., 7 p.m. ET, FOX)

March 17, 2023 14 minutes ago

MIAMI --

The undefeated Team Venezuela will take on the reigning champion Team USA in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal showdown on Saturday night.

Venezuela went a perfect 4-0 in highly anticipated Pool D competition in Miami, staying atop the standings against the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua & Israel.

“That was a bear of a pool,” USA manager Mark DeRosa said Friday. “So for them to go undefeated was pretty impressive. But no, [I’m] not shocked at all with the amount of talent that they have on that club. We're fired up for the opportunity and happy to get on that plane to come here.”

Team USA traveled from Phoenix after finishing second (3-1) in Pool C. It topped Great Britain, Canada and Colombia and lost to Mexico.

“It's just a matter of time, we thought, that the U.S. would be our rival on Saturday,” Venezuela manager Omar López said Thursday. “And every coach individually started the preparation.”

Here's what you need to know about Saturday’s matchup:

When and where:

Saturday at 7 p.m. ET at loanDepot park in Miami.

How you can watch:

The game between USA and Venezuela will be live on FOX. Every game can be streamed online in the FOX Sports App. For international viewing options, click here.

How you can listen:

Live audio coverage of all games will be carried on Sirius XM, TuneIn, MLB.com and in the MLB App.

What’s at stake:

In a single-elimination round, the winner of this quarterfinal matchup will advance to face Cuba in the semifinals on Sunday night. Venezuela most recently advanced to the semifinals in 2009 before falling to South Korea. USA advanced to the semifinals in 2017 and went on to win the entire tournament against Puerto Rico.

Matchup history:

USA and Venezuela met in the second round in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. USA rallied for a three-run eighth inning -- including home runs by Adam Jones and Eric Hosmer -- to win, 4-2.

Key players to watch:

Salvador Perez, C, Venezuela:

Perez was named Pool D MVP after he went 5-for-10 at the plate in his first three games. He drove in five runs and connected for three doubles and a home run (.500/.545/1.100) during that stretch.

Mike Trout, CF, USA:

Trout powered USA to a 3-2 victory over Colombia on Wednesday. He went 3-for-4 and drove in all of USA’s runs. Trout is slashing .417/.588/.833 in his first four WBC games.

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