World Baseball Classic: Puerto Rico’s imperfectly perfect game

World Baseball Classic: United States 12, Canada 1

Team USA recovered in nuclear fashion from its disappointing Sunday defeat at the hands of Mexico. The U.S. team scored nine times in the first inning, leaving Canada no realistic hope of catching up.

Nineteen-year-old Canada starter Mitch Bratt, a Rangers prospect, and reliever R.J. Freure, formerly in the Braves system, were the sacrificial victims. Bratt surrendered a leadoff hit to Mookie Betts, walked Mike Trout and Paul Goldschmidt, then threw a pitch that Nolan Arenado rocketed down the line in left for the first two runs.

A sacrifice fly, a walk and a single later and Bratt was done, to be replaced by Freure. He had no better luck. Before the inning was out, Cedric Mullins had tripled another run home and Trout hit a three-run bomb into the left-center seats to complete the nine-spot.

There was little letup in the second when the U.S. added three more runs on a walk, a Tim Anderson triple, a sacrifice fly and a Trea Turner home run.

Apparently fatigued by their initial energy outburst, the USA hitters failed to score the rest of the game. It didn’t matter. This game, too, was terminated by the mercy rule, in this case in the seventh inning.

The victory moves Team USA into a tenuous first place in Group C at 2-1. Canada, Colombia and Mexico are all 1-1, with Great Britain at 1-2.

That U.S. hold on first in the group is certain to be compromised Tuesday when Canada plays Colombia. The winner will also be 2-1. Mexico can also get to 2-1 if it beats Great Britain.

World Baseball Classic: Dominican Republic 6, Nicaragua 1

Coming off their tournament-opening loss to Colombia, the bracket favorites got precisely what they had to have. Five Dominican pitchers held Nicaragua to five hits and a single run in Group D play in Miami.

Astros ace Cristian Javier started and held Nicaragua scoreless on two hits through his four innings. Javier struck out four.

Offensively several of the Dominicans’ mega stars who had been silenced in the loss to Venezuela stepped up Monday.

• Juan Soto had two hits, one of them a home run, and scored three times.
• Manny Machado also homered and singled.
• White Sox star Eloy Jimenez had two hits and drove in a run.
• Mariners sensation Julio Rodriguez only had one hit in his five tries, but that hit drove in a run in the fourth inning.

The Dominicans are now 1-1 in Group D. They play Israel, also 1-1, in what could be an elimination game Tuesday, then conclude group play Wednesday against Puerto Rico in what is likely to be a pivotal game for both teams.

Nicaragua, which fell to 0-3, concludes Group play Tuesday against Group-leading Venezuela. A Nicaragua victory over a team that’s already beaten both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic would contend for the upset of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

World Baseball Classic: Great Britain 7, Colombia 5

For the moment, what Great Britain did against Colombia Monday qualifies as the upset of the World Baseball Classic. The Brits, who lost to the U.S. and then got run-ruled by Canada, took a hatchet to Colombia’s hopes of assuming a commanding position in Group C in Phoenix.

Into the fourth inning, this game pretty much followed the perceived script. Colombia starter William Cuevas, a former Red Sox farmhand, retired six of the first batters he faced and held Great Britain to one hit through three innings.

That was long enough for Colombia to build a 3-0 lead. But in the bottom of the fourth, things veered off script. Catcher Harry Ford singled, Nick Ward walked, and Cuevas was lifted for reliever Julio Vivas, who promptly moved both runners along with a wild pickoff throw.

B.J. Murray’s fly ball got Ford home, walks to Darnell Sweeney and Nick Ward loaded the bases, and forced another pitching change, Yapson Gomez coming in. He fanned Anfernee Seymour for the second out, but let Chavez Young slip a base hit between shortstop and third to score both Ward and Sweeney with the tying runs.

The Brits continued their uprising one inning later when Jaden Rudd doubled two go-ahead runs across. They made it 7-3 in the seventh when Ford homered and a wild pitch produced Britain’s final run.

Britain’s surprising win provided a major boost to the USA’s hopes for advancing. Had Colombia won, the Colombians would be 2-0 and needing only to beat Canada Tuesday to wrap up advancement.

It also would have put the United States, Mexico and Canada in a three-way contest for the only other ticket out of the bracket, a disadvantageous spot for the U.S., which still must play Colombia. Mexico has two games remaining, but they are against Canada and Great Britain, apparently the Group’s weaker sisters.

Mexico also holds the first tie-breaker over the United States by virtue of its head-to-head victory Sunday.