Must win for Americans at WBC
Yadier Molina and Puerto Rico are moving on to the World Baseball Classic semifinals after scoring four runs in the first inning and then holding on for a wild 6-5 win against the United States last night.
Puerto Rico advances to the championship round for the second straight WBC. It reached the championship game in 2013 before losing to the Dominican Republic.
By clinching Pool F with a day to go, Puerto Rico (2-0) will play the Netherlands on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
The other semifinal spot from Pool F will go to the winner of tonight’s game between the United States (1-1) and the Dominican Republic (1-1). That team will play Japan on Tuesday night.
With most of the 32,463 fans on their feet and chanting in the top of the ninth, a U.S rally fell just short. Brandon Crawford hit a tworun triple to the left-center gap off Edwin Diaz with two outs to pull the Americans within a run. Diaz then struck out Josh Harrison to end it and send the Puerto Ricans into a wild celebration on the infield. . . .
NL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer probably will miss the Washington Nationals’ opener against Miami on April 3 because of a stress fracture in his right ring finger.
Manager Dusty Baker said of Scherzer’s openingday availability: “At this point, probably no.”
Scherzer said he will get three more starts before season and expects to break camp with the big league club. The 32-yearold right-hander was 20-7 last season. . . .
AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer said his injured right ankle that cost him a start for the Detroit Tigers earlier this month is 100 percent and that he’s on track to be ready for the start of the regular season. . . .
Oakland Athletics outfielder Jake Smolinski had surgery on his right shoulder and will be in a sling for the next four weeks. . . .
Right-hander Logan Ondrusek, due to have his elbow examined next week by Dr. James Andrews, was released by Baltimore. . . .
The Miami Marlins are still waiting to learn the extent of third baseman Martin Prado’s hamstring injury, including whether he’ll be available for opening day. Playing for Venezuela, Prado hurt himself running out a grounder in Wednesday’s loss to Team USA.