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Baseball notes: Puerto Rico beats US in World Baseball Classic – STLtoday.com
Puerto Rico defeats U.S.
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 on Friday night in San Diego.
By clinching Pool F with a day to go, Puerto Rico (2-0) will play the Netherlands on Monday night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The other semifinal spot from Pool F will go to the winner of Saturday night’s game between the United States (1-1) and the Dominican Republic (1-1) in San Diego. 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 two-run 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.
Molina singled in run in Puerto Rico’s big first inning.
The Americans got homers from Adam Jones and Posey.
Prado’s status uncertain • The Marlins are waiting to learn the extent of third baseman Martin Prado’s hamstring injury, including whether he’ll be available for opening day.
Prado, playing for Venezuela, was injured while running out a grounder in a World Baseball Classic game Wednesday.
“Hopefully it’s minor, Grade I (strain), and that we’re able to kind of continue and have him ready, but we’ll just have to wait and see,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Friday.
A career .293 hitter over 10 major league seasons, Prado hit .305 and drove in 75 runs for the Marlins last season.
Fulmer improving • American League rookie of the year Michael Fulmer said his injured right ankle is 100 percent and that he’s on track to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Fulmer, making his second start since spraining the ankle March 4, gave up three runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings in a 3-0 loss Friday to the New York Yankees, who threw a no-hitter in a game started by Masahiro Tanaka and then followed by two relievers.
Fulmer threw 59 pitches. The Tigers had targeted him for 55-60.
Elsewhere • Pitcher Logan Ondrusek, due to have his sore elbow examined next week, was released by the Orioles. He is entitled to 30 days’ termination pay, $106,557. In six big-league seasons, with the Reds and Orioles, he is 21-11 with a 4.03 ERA.
• Waymon Roberts, father of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, died on Friday at age 68. No details were announced. Bench coach Bob Geren and Triple-A Oklahoma City manager Bill Haselman will fill in while Dave Robert is gone from spring training to be with family.
• The Royals optioned three of their top prospects — infielder Hunter Dozier and outfielders Jorge Bonifacio and Bubba Starling — to Triple-A Omaha as they begin paring their roster.
• Athletics outfielder Jake Smolinski had surgery on his right shoulder and will be in a sling for about four weeks. He hit .238 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs in 99 games last year.
• Rangers pitching prospect Chi Chi Gonzalez probably will miss at least the first half of the season because of a partial tear of a ligament in his right elbow.
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