Five keys to USA-Puerto Rico World Baseball Classic final
This year’s World Baseball Classic has drawn raves for the excitement and drama of so many of its games, and it concludes tonight with a fascinating matchup between Team USA and undefeated Puerto Rico.
The finale offers a rematch of Friday’s second-round game, in which the U.S. nearly overcame an early four-run deficit and had the tying run on third base in the ninth before losing 6-5.
The championship game is also tinged with political overtones given Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. territory, with the island’s residents set to decide in a June vote whether to request statehood, remain a commonwealth or eventually seek independence.
On the sporting front, here are five keys to the game:
Marcus Stroman
The excitable right-hander has added motivation to pitch well tonight after his mother, who is Puerto Rican, was harassed on social media over his decision to represent the U.S. instead. Initially, Stroman had indicated he would pitch for Puerto Rico.
Stroman looked sharp in his first outing of the tournament, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings against the potent Dominican lineup, but gave up six consecutive hits and four runs in the first inning Friday. The U.S. can’t afford to fall that far behind again facing a team as confident and talented as Puerto Rico.
Emotions
Regardless of the sport, Puerto Rican athletes are always extra amped up when opposing American teams, regarding those tests as the ultimate challenge.
That’s a double-edged sword, as the adrenaline surge can lead to inspired performances but also has the potential of disrupting focus. In Monday’s extra-inning game against The Netherlands, closer Edwin Diaz nearly triggered a brawl with an up-and-in pitch to slugger Vladimir Balentien during a tense confrontation. Second baseman Javier Baez also plays with an edge that can sometimes take him over the top.
More WBC:
The exuberant Puerto Rican players, most sporting bleached-blond hair as a sign of unity, have ridden a wave of emotion to a 7-0 record. The U.S. team, which has gone 5-2, has typically been more subdued in its celebrations.
A study in contrasting styles will be on display tonight.
Regardless of the outcome, Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello announced the arrangement of a charter flight to bring the team back to the island to honor its performance in the WBC.
Yadier Molina
Playing with the enthusiasm of a Little Leaguer, the 13-year veteran has left his imprint all over the tournament.
Always a clutch hitter, Molina has homered twice and driven in six runs. On Monday, he picked off two baserunners in the first inning to help minimize the damage against shaky starter Jorge Lopez as the Dutch threatened to blow open that semifinal. He also made a remarkable putout at the plate as Jonathan Schoop was trying to score from first on a double in the fifth.
Handling a pitching staff lacking star quality – tonight’s starter, Seth Lugo, is a second-year right-hander competing for the fifth spot in the New York Mets rotation – Molina has been a rock of stability, providing guidance and expertise. He’s easily the biggest reason Puerto Rico has reached this stage and should get strong consideration for tournament MVP.
The bullpens
After throwing two scoreless innings Monday, Diaz was granted permission from the Seattle Mariners to pitch in the title game. That’s a huge factor for Puerto Rico, because even though Diaz has had ups and downs in the tournament, he’s the club’s most dominant pitcher.
Puerto Rico will also benefit from having Tuesday off, which presumably means all but one of its relievers will be available after five of them pitched against The Netherlands. The one exception will be lefty Hector Santiago, who went 3 1/3 innings and threw 63 pitches Monday.
Team USA employed six relievers to beat Japan on Tuesday, including Andrew Miller, Mark Melancon and Sam Dyson, all of whom have closed in the majors. None of the six pitched more than 1 1/3 innings, but manager Jim Leyland has been reluctant to call on them on back-to-back days. It will be interesting to see how much bullpen flexibility he has against Puerto Rico.
Adam Jones
The Baltimore Orioles center fielder has been a fountain of big plays, from his game-winning single in extra innings against Colombia in the first round to his game-changing catch against the Dominican Republic in Saturday’s 6-3 victory, which propelled the U.S. to the semifinals. On Tuesday, his groundout drove in the decisive run against Japan.
Now playing in his second WBC, Jones is batting just .226 but seems to have a sense for the importance of the tournament, its level of intensity and what it takes to win. He’s not one to shy away when the lights shine bright, as they will tonight.