Key events
Puerto Rico 4-5 Mexico, top 8th inning
Rivera takes ball one. 1-0. He fouls off the next pitch. 1-1. The next pitch is a called strike. 1-2. He fouls off another. 1-2 again. The next two pitches are balls outside. Full count.
Rivera hits one that’s incredibly long and for a split second it looks like it’s going to at least tie the game. At centerfield, Arozarena makes an incredible game-saving catch for the second out!
Puerto Rico 4-5 Mexico, top 8th inning
That it’s for Romero, he’s being replaced by Jake Sanchez who will be pitching to Rivera with a runner on first base with two outs in the inning.
Puerto Rico 4-5 Mexico, top 8th inning
MJ Melendez is up next. He takes two straight balls. 2-0. Then a strike. 2-1. Then he takes two more balls. Puerto Rico with a one-out baserunner.
Puerto Rico 4-5 Mexico, top 8th inning
(Random thoughts during this commercial break: I cannot believe “The Masked Singer” has lasted this long. The 21st century is weird.)
Hernández is leading off for Puerto Rico against JoJo Romero, who gets ahead of him 1-2. He then pops up for the first out. Puerto Rico now has five outs left to play with.
Puerto Rico 4-5 Mexico, bottom 7th inning
Trejo is up now, runners are on the corners still with one out. He gets good wood on the ball but it’s a flyout that finally ends the inning but not until after Mexico converts a bases-loaded situation into a three-run inning that gives them a late lead.
Puerto Rico now has just six outs to keep their WBC hopes alive.
RBI single! (Luis Urías, Puerto Rico 4-5 Mexico)
Puerto Rico 4-5 Mexico, bottom 7th inning
Paredes is looking like the game MVP if Mexico can pull off this comeback. Urías is at the plate with two out and runners on the corner. He takes a ball and a strike. And on the next pitch, Urías hits one into the outfield! Mexico takes a lead!
2-run single! (Isaac Paredes, Puerto Rico 4-4 Mexico)
Puerto Rico 4-4 Mexico, bottom 7th inning
Paredes takes a ball outside. 1-0. It would be highly amusing if he managed to walk in a run after getting the first two outs.
Well, I guess, not amusing for the entire country of Puerto Rico. The next pitch is outside. 2-0. The next one? A 97 mph strike on the corner. A quality pitch. 2-1.
Oh no, on the next pitch, Paredes hits a two-run single! Tied game!
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 7th inning
There’s a meeting on the mound to make sure López is alright after throwing the pitch and getting off the mound. Hard to see what the team’s concerned with, but he’s staying in the game.
Tellez is up next. Bases loaded, one out. He takes a ball outside, which was probably right on the corner. He’ll take it. 1-0. López gets the call on the next pitch, was probably outside. I guess it evens out. 1-1.
Tellez fouls off the next pitch. 1-2. He probably wants that swing back. The next pitch is way upstairs. 2-2. Another mound meeting for what could be a key pitch. (Honestly every pitch is important at this point.)
On 2-2, Tellez swings and misses at a pitch that breaks outside! Puerto Rico can get out of this bases-loaded jam with just one more out!
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 7th inning
Jorge López has an impossible task in front of him, trying to escape from a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam. Have to think Puerto Rico would settle for a run-scoring double-play here.
Meneses is the batter. He takes a 97m heater for a strike. 0-1. Meneses swings again; fouls the pitch off. 0-2. He pops it up on the infield! No one can score. What a huge first out!
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 7th inning
Verdugo is up in another big spot. He takes a ball outside. 1-0. And another. 2-0. Díaz is having trouble with the strike zone here. 3-0. Remember what I was saying about Puerto Rico possibly regretting the scoring drought?
Well, Díaz has walked the bases loaded without retiring a batter and is being lifted.
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 7th inning
Arozarena, Mexico’s most dangerous hitter, is up with a runner on second base. Díaz’s first pitch against him? Out of the zone. 1-0. The second pitch, strike. 1-1. Díaz throws another ball. 2-1. Arozarena takes a hefty swing at the next pitch. Luckily for Puerto Rico, he comes up with nothing but air. 2-2. Even count. The next pitch is off the outside corner. 3-2. Payoff pitch time.
It’s outside. Runners on first and second now with nobody out. Possible big inning here?
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 7th inning
Alexis Díaz, Edwin’s brother, is in the game and Austin Barnes rudely greets him with a leadoff double.
Seventh inning stretch
En Español.
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, top 7th inning
(Briefly checks the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament.) Purdue has been eliminated? Well, there goes my Final Four predictions. Hopefully that means some people have switched over to what is a really solid baseball game here.
Jojo Romero is up to face Lindor with two out. Lindor gets ahead of the count 2-0. Romero manages to get a strike over the plate on pitch three. 2-1. The next, not so much. 3-1. Lindor hits a ball just fair and it looks like he’s going to outrun it but Paredes makes a fantastic throw to get him out at first. To the seventh inning!
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, top 7th inning
Lindor is up next and Mexico goes to the bullpen.
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, top 7th inning
Maldonado promptly grounds out. Two away.
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, top 7th inning
Assad remains out there for the top of the seventh. Vimeal Machín is pinch-hitting for Soto. He falls behind 1-2 and then takes called strike three for the first out of the inning.
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 6th inning
Alan Trejo is up next with a runner on first. Cruz manages to strike him out on a 1-2 pitch and is now a batter away from getting out of this…
Never mind, on the first pitch, Thomas grounds out. So he is zero batters away from getting out of this! To the seventh inning!
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 6th inning
Urías, the hitter, is up next. He also falls behind 0-2, a lot of this in these last few innings. The next pitch is in the dirt and Urías refuses to offer. 1-2. He gets good wood on it and hits a ball between the shift.
Man, I’m going to miss the shift when MLB starts, I love when batters do that.
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 6th inning
Fernando Cruz is pitching for Puerto Rico, facing Paredes who accounted for Mexico’s first run. Cruz gets ahead of him 0-2. Paredes connects but fouls off the next pitch. Still 0-2. He doesn’t connect on the next pitch. He’s out.
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, top 6th inning
Two down, Vázquez up to try to salvage this inning for Puerto Rico. He does not, he goes out on three pitches. To the bottom of the sixth. Can Mexico continue to creep closer?
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, top 6th inning
Rosario is up next and he falls into an immediate 0-2 hole. After fouling off a few pitches, he takes a ball. He stays alive on 1-2, fouling off another one. Assad gets him to swing and miss on the next offering, however.
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, top 6th inning
Assad is back out there pitching for Mexico, against Báez. Mexico’s pitching has handled Puerto Rico’s big bats fairly well after the first inning, and the latter might regret not putting up an additional run with the momentum that Mexico is starting to build.
Báez, however, grounds out for the first out.
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 5th inning
It’s up to Tellez for Mexico to make this at least a one-run game. Ríos gets ahead of him 0-2, just a single pitch from getting Puerto Rico out of this jam.
It’s just a little outside. On 1-2, he grounds out harmlessly to second. To the sixth inning after an adventure of a fifth!
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 5th inning
Bases are still loaded. Still only one out. Yacksel Ríos is in to pitch for Puerto Rico, here to put out a fire. Meneses is at-bat, he fouls off the first pitch. 0-1. He fouls off the second. 0-2. He flies out, the runners hold. The best case scenario of that at-bat second to a double play.
RBI Single! (Alex Verdugo, Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico)
Puerto Rico 4-2 Mexico, bottom 5th inning
This might be the biggest at-bat of the game. Bases loaded, one out, Verdugo at the plate. He takes a pitch outside. 1-0. At this point, Stroman would love a double-play.
Oof. Another ball outside. 2-0. Verdugo fouls off a ball outside. 2-1. He fouls off the next. 2-2. Next pitch is in the dirt. Full count. Stroman is in danger of walking in a run here. Verdugo fouls the next pitch off. 3-2 still. THE DRAMA.
He hits a ball into shallow center and that will score a run! What a great at bat from Verdguo! Stroman is coming out.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 5th inning
Stroman might be starting to tire here, wouldn’t be shocked if Puerto Rico starts to get someone in the bullpen just in case. This is an elimination game, after all.
And here comes Arozarena, maybe the most dangerous hitter in Mexico’s lineup. He’s probably going to look at hitting a flyball here. He’s not going to go chasing however, as he takes two straight balls to start his at-bat. 2-0
Arozarena takes a big, dangerous swing. Thankfully for Puerto Rico, he doesn’t connect. 2-1. He takes another pitch outside. 3-1. The next pitch is away, it feels as if Stroman didn’t want to go at him, but now the bases are loaded.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 5th inning
Austin Barnes hits a hot single that puts Thomas on third with just one out. So, this is a great opportunity for Mexico to cut Puerto Rico’s lead in half without the benefit of a hit.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 5th inning
Alek Thomas out-hustles a groundball for an infield single and a much-needed baserunner for Mexico.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 5th inning
No reason for Puerto Rico to move on from Stroman here. Melendez is now in right field. Stroman strikes out Trejo, only his second k. He’s getting so many easy ground balls that he doesn’t need to go on deep counts to get a strikeout.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, top 5th inning
Rivera is up next with an opportunity to blow this game open. He instead lines into a fielder’s choice.
We are now halfway through regulation in what has been a fast paced game.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, top 5th inning
Two down, runner on second. MJ Melendez is in to make a pinch-hitting appearance and a chance to drive in Puerto Rico’s fifth run. He takes the first three pitches: two straight balls and then a strike. 2-1. The next pitch is just off the edge. 2-2. The next pitch is also off the edge. That’s a base-on-balls. Runners on first and second now.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, top 5th inning
Hernández is up next, with a runner on first. He gets called for a strike on a pitch he thinks is a ball at 3-1. On 3-2, he hits in a fielder’s choice. Lindor advanced to second.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, top 5th inning
Lindor hits a solid base hit to centerfield. Puerto Rico with another baserunner.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, top 5th inning
The other Urías is out of the game. Javier Assad has relieved him and he will be facing Maldonado to start the top of the fifth. He gets him on three straight pitches, an impressive star.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 4th inning
Luis Urías grounds out to second and that’s that. We’re through four innings!
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 4th inning
Two quicks out here in the bottom of the fourth. Stroman hits Paredes with his next pitch. Clearly not intentional and Paredes takes first base.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 4th inning
The infield shifts on Tellez, which is still allowed by WBC rules although it’s been outlawed by MLB for the upcoming season. Tellez tries to hit one between the shift, but the result is just a groundball out.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 4th inning
Meneses is up again facing Stroman. It looks like he’s going to hit a base hit but Hernández makes a fantastic diving catch to rob him.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, top 4th inning
Soto is up with a runner at second, a solid RBI opportunity. He takes a pitch outside. 1-0. He swings and misses. 1-1. He grounds out. That’s that in the top of the fourth.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, top 4th inning
Vázquez is back out there, and Fox Sports shows his home run against the Dominican Republic in Puerto Rico’s previous game. He hits a double this time around, which is half as good mathematically-speaking.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, top 4th inning
Eddie Rosario grounds into a double play and that erases the base runner.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, top 4th inning
Báez is up against Urías to start the fourth inning and he gets a base hit. Not quite a double, just a one-and-a-half-er, so he has to stay on first base.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 3rd inning
No jinx yet. Verdugo grounds out into a fielder’s choice. We’re already in the fourth inning!
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 3rd inning
Arozarena gets Mexico’s second hit of the game, a two-out single. I’ll say this: the pace of this game is quite fun so far!
Oh no, did I just jinx it?
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 3rd inning
Austin Barnes makes his first appearance at the batter’s box. It doesn’t last long, he takes a sinker just on the edge for strike three for the second out of the inning. Filthy.
Puerto Rico 4-1 Mexico, bottom 3rd inning
Alek Thomas is up next and he tries to outrun a groundball to first but can’t quite do it. Just an out.