MIAMI — Hobbled and humbled in the World Baseball Classic, Team USA is still swinging.
David Wright sliced a two-run single that capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday night, and the injury-plagued Americans qualified for this weekend’s semifinals with a 6-5 win over Puerto Rico.
Wright’s hit with one out eliminated Puerto Rico.
“That situation is what you dream about when you’re a kid,” he said.
The Americans advanced to the next round at Dodger Stadium. It was an especially sweet victory after Saturday’s humiliation against Puerto Rico that triggered the mercy rule when the Americans fell 10 runs behind, ending the game in the seventh inning.
“Getting a crack at a team that embarrassed us a few days earlier, to have the resiliency to bounce back in the ninth and steal one from them was pretty big,” Wright said.
This time the teams played a full nine, and the Americans saved their best for last in the 3-hour, 54-minute marathon.
“They kept on the heat, and they didn’t give up,” Puerto Rican manager Jose Oquendo said.
Trailing 5-3, Team USA began its rally when Shane Victorino and Brian Roberts singled to the start the ninth against J.C. Romero (1-1). Derek Jeter flied out, Roberts stole second and Jimmy Rollins walked on a 3-2 pitch.
“We just had to string them together, and we were able to do that,” Rollins said.
Fernando Cabrera came on to pitch, and he walked Kevin Youkilis to force in a run.
Wright then lined a 2-1 pitch just inside the right-field line, raising his fist when the ball dropped in. The New York Mets star called the hit the biggest of his career.
“You’re talking about representing the United States of America,” he said. “You’ve got that across the front of your chest. To be able to get that hit, that’s got to be right up there at the top of the list.”
KOREA 4, JAPAN 1
SAN DIEGO — Korea scored three runs in the first inning and added another in the eighth. The Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki drove in Japan’s only run with an RBI groundout in the fifth inning. Kenji Johjima of the Mariners went 1-for-3.
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