SAN DIEGO — Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead homer and the United States eliminated defending World Baseball Classic champion the Dominican Republic 6-3 Saturday night to earn a spot in the semifinals.
Stanton’s two-run shot into the third-floor balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building in the left-field corner at Petco Park gave the United States a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning. It put a charge into the sellout crowd of 43,002 and helped send the Americans to the championship round at Dodger Stadium, where they will face Japan in a semifinal game Tuesday night.
Three innings later, San Diego native Adam Jones made a spectacular, leaping catch over the fence in the deepest part of the park in right-center to rob Baltimore Orioles teammate Manny Machado of a home run. Machado tipped his helmet to Jones.
Puerto Rico 13 Venezuela 2
SAN DIEGO — Mike Aviles got four hits and drove in three runs as Puerto Rico, already assured a spot in the World Baseball Classic semifinals, beat Venezuela for its sixth straight win in the tournament.
Puerto Rico, runner-up to the Dominican Republic in the 2013 WBC, will play the Netherlands on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
Kennys Vargas hit a two-run homer and Angel Pagan added a double and two singles as Puerto Rico got 17 hits. A day earlier, Carlos Correa, Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina helped Puerto Rico hold off the United States 6-5.
Starter Jose De Leon pitched 2 2⁄3 scoreless innings for the win. Martin Perez took the loss.
Venezuela lost to Puerto Rico for the second time in this year’s WBC. It fell 11-0 in an abbreviated first-round game shortened because of the mercy rule.
Puerto Rico put the game out of reach with a five-run seventh after Venezuela pulled to within 5-2 on Rougned Odor’s two-run homer in the sixth.
Reymond Fuentes’ RBI double and Pagan’s run-scoring single made it 5-0 in the sixth.
Aviles’ two-out single pushed Puerto Rico to a 3-0 lead in the fifth. Carlos Correa, who had walked for the second time, scored on the hit.
Correa doubled in the third and scored an unearned run when T. J. Rivera’s slow roller to the right side was fielded cleanly by first baseman Hernan Perez, who made an errant throw to Martin Perez at first.
Venezuela loaded with the bases loaded and one out in the second. Hernan Perez lifted a shallow fly ball to left, but Victor Martinez was late returning to third base to tag up. Martinez attempted to score, but he was an easy out at the plate on Pagan’s throw.
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