World Baseball Classic’s Miami schedule is set

MLB on Thursday announced the matchups and times for 2023 World Baseball Classic games being played in the United States, including all 15 games of the tournament that will be held at Miami’s loanDepot park.

And fans won’t have to wait long for arguably the marquee matchup of Miami’s first-round pool, with the Dominican Republic and Venezuela facing off on the first day of pool play at the home of the Miami Marlins at 7 p.m. March 11.

The 2023 World Baseball Classic takes place March 8-21, with loanDepot park playing a role in all three rounds (pool play, quarterfinals and semifinals/final).

Miami’s pool play games will run from March 11-15. The first-round field playing in South Florida includes Puerto Rico, Venezuela,

Israel, the Dominican Republic and a to-bedetermined fifth team that will come from one of the four teams that advance from the two qualifying tournaments.

All five teams will face each other once in a round robin, with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals.

Here is the full schedule for World Baseball Classic games affiliated with loanDepot park:

March 11 (pool play):

TBD qualifying team vs Puerto Rico, noon; Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela, 7 p.m.

March 12 (pool play):

TBD qualifying team vs Israel, noon; Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico, 7 p.m.

March 13 (pool play):

Dominican Republic vs. TBD qualifying team, noon; Israel vs Puerto

Rico, 7 p.m.

March 14 (pool play):

TBD qualifying team vs Venezuela, noon; Israel vs. Dominican Republic, 7 p.m.

March 15 (pool play): Venezuela vs Israel, noon; Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic, 7 p.m.

March 17 and 18: Quarterfinals, one game each day at 7 p.m.

March 19 and 20: Tournament semifinals, one game each day at 7 p.m.

March 21: Tournament final, 7 p.m.

— JORDAN MCPHERSON

THURSDAY’S GAMES AMERICAN LEAGUE

Rangers 5, Angels 3:

Corey Seager hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning, helping host Texas beat Los Angeles.

Royals 4, Twins 1:

Jonathan Heasley pitched six innings of two-hit ball, Edward Oliveras and

Drew Waters homered, and host Kansas City beat Minnesota to complete a three-game series sweep.

Mariners 9, Athletics 5: Julio Rodríguez doubled and scored before leaving with lower back tightness, and Seattle overcame the loss of the rookie center fielder to beat host Oakland and avoid a threegame sweep

NATIONAL LEAGUE Cardinals 5, Padres 4:

Brendan Donovan hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to lead Albert Pujols and St. Louis at San Diego, snapping a threegame losing streak.

Pujols remained at 698 career homers, although he did drive two balls to deep left field, one for a single and one for an out on the warning track.

The next stop in his pursuit of the 700-homer club is Dodger Stadium, where the NL Centralleading Cardinals open a three-game series Friday.

Giants 3, Rockies 0: Mike Yastrzemski homered and John Brebbia pitched an inning in his second start of the series, helping San Francisco beat

Colorado complete a fourgame sweep.

ELSEWHERE

Yankees: Zack Britton was activated one year and two weeks after the lefthander had Tommy John surgery, and was prepared to walk out to the bullpen for his first major league game in 13 months. He was hoping Aaron Judge would send home run No. 61 into the New York Yankees bullpen in right-center.

‘‘I’m thinking if I catch the next one or something, it might go for a pretty penny,” Britton said before Thursday night’s game against Boston. “I’ll be out there with the glove on.”

Red Sox: Second baseman Trevor Story went back on the 10-day injured list 11 days after he left a game against Baltimore because of a bruised left heel.

Boston recalled first baseman/third baseman Bobby Dalbec from Triple-A Worcester.