World Baseball Classic Day 8: USA, Canada theme is “Just win, baby!”

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 14: Manager Ernie Whitt #12 of Team Canada looks on during the World Baseball Classic Pool C game against Team Colombia at Chase Field on March 14, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 14: Manager Ernie Whitt #12 of Team Canada looks on during the World Baseball Classic Pool C game against Team Colombia at Chase Field on March 14, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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Jeremy Pena  is congratulated by Gary Sanchez after scoring in the seventh inning against Israel at loanDepot park. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Jeremy Pena  is congratulated by Gary Sanchez after scoring in the seventh inning against Israel at loanDepot park. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

World Baseball Classic: Dominican Republic 10, Israel 0

When the Dominicans finished off Israel Tuesday in Miami, it made matters very simple in Group D. Venezuela will advance as will the winner of Wednesday’s game between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Those teams will enter their game with records of 2-1, meaning that one will leave at 3-1 and the other will just go home.

The Dominicans’ mega-star roster stepped up big Tuesday in a game shortened to seven innings by the tournament’s mercy rule. Manny Machado drove in three runs with two hits, one of them a towering home run into the highest deck of loanDepot Stadium.

Julio Rodriguez, Jeimer Candelario and Eloy Jimenez all had two hits, with Rodriguez driving in two runs. Rodriguez, Juan Soto, Ketel Marte and Jeremy Pena all doubled.

On the mound, projected Pirates starter Roasny Contreras led four Dominican pitchers who held Israel to one hit. In fact, Israel got only that one baserunner all night. Of course, that was one more than they got one night earlier when the Puerto Rican staff threw an eight-inning perfect game at them.

That made it two straight mercy rule blowouts and 15 consecutive scoreless innings for Israel, which had produced only one hit since a game-winning three-run eighth inning rally against Nicaragua on Sunday. Spencer Horwitz got that lone hit, a leadoff third-inning single Tuesday.

Entering its wrapup game against Venezuela Wednesday, the Team Israel batting average is .105. All but five of Israel’s position players are batting .000.