Venezuela vs Puerto Rico summary: scores, stats and highlights | 2023 World Baseball Classic
Venezuela holds on to beat Puerto Rico 9-6
Venezuela in the driver's seat of Pool D
The Dominican Republic were supposed to be the biggest challenger to the Unite States. They were going to romp throught the group stage and then take on the defending champs in the knockout stages. But then Venezuela came along and shocked everyone. They left the DR with nothing to hold on to, shutting them down comprehensively yesterday.
Maybe it was a one off, you say. Wait until they meet Puerto Rico. Then we will see what they are really made of. Well they met. And it turns out the Venezuela are made of pretty stern stuff.
They are now 2-0 in the group, sitting on top with an off day tomorrow. They then wrap up their group play with Nicaragua on Tuesday and Israel on Wednesday.
Puerto Rico, however, have Israel tomorrow and the Dominican Republic the day after. Brutal!
This pool is now in the hands of Venezuela and barring disaster, they will win it. Either way, it is in their own hands now.
That is going to do it for our coverage of Venezuela vs Puerto Rico. Keep your eye on all of the World Baseball Classic news and live coverage right here on Diario AS USA. See you soon!
This is a great hit
Cargando...
Great shot
Cargando...
Two other giants are playing in Pool C, as the USA takes on Mexico. We are covering that action as well so don't miss it!
This has been a wonderful win here where Venezuela has managed to take down both of the big teams in their pool in two consecutive nights. For Puerto Rico, this doesn't end their hopes, but it makes it a little more complicated.
He hits a shot to center field. Acuña grabs it just at the foot of the wall. Three out and that is the game. What a win for Venezuela!
Yet another foul. Machin will sell his out dearly.
A ball and two fouls. Machin faces 1-2
He gets two quick strikes and they are just hanging on.
Venezuela are now just one out away from killing both giants in this pool. Machin is PR's last hope.
He hits one on the ground back to Bracho. He flips it to Arraez for the second out.
Vazquez now to the plate.
He flies out to center field for the first out.
Ramos fouls off the first two pitches to get into a hole 0-2
Bottom 9th
Henry Ramos, Christian Vazquez, and Vimael Machin are the last hope for Puerto Rico here in the ninth. They will face Silvino Bracho who is looking to slam the door shut.
He is uncommonly patient at the plate, as he has been all night, and gets the 2-2 before chasing high heat for the strikeout. We head to the bottom of the ninth.
Jose Altuve now up trying to give Venezuela a little something extra.
Eduardo Escobar comes to the plate and works a deep count, 2-2 with several fouls before hitting a liner to center for out number two.
David Peralta will lead off and smacks a change up that was middle-middle to straight center for the first out.
Top 9th
Jorge Lopez will take over on the mound for Puerto Rico, trying to shut down Venezuela here and give his team a chance in the bottom half of the inning.
Eddie Rosario now steps up to the plate. He hits a sharp one to second for an unassisted double play to end the inning.
He skies the second pitch up for Altuve to make the catch. One away
Baez comes to the plate and sees straight heat for a strike.
Men now on the corners and that will be it from Jhoulys Chacin. Silvino Bracho is called out to take over the pitching. He will face Javi Baez with nobody out and men on the corners. The tying run is at the plate
Emmanuel Rivera comes to the plate and singles on a line drive to center field, moving Melendez to 3rd.
Melendez comes to the plate and slaps a shot into the right field corner. Kike scores and it is 9-6! Melendez in in with a double.
Bottom 8th
Chacin will go to work on Kike Hernandez here in the eighth and a hard fought battle ends with Kike hitting one to short. A throwing error sees him reach safely. He advances to second on the error.
Miggy comes up and smacks the first pitch straight back at Padilla. Breaks his bat and the easy throw ends the inning.
Gimenez steps to the plate and cranks one to center field. Just short of the wall and Kike hauls it in for out number two.
A pop to center field and we have out number one.
Top 8th
Puerto Rico makes a change and Nicholas Padilla replaces Alexis Diaz on the mound. He will face Anthony Santander to start us off.
Lindor steps up to the plate and gets more movement. He pops one to right field to end the inning. 1,2,3 and we head to eight.
Machin comes to the plate and sees nothing but breaking balls. He slaps one to first for the easy putout. Two down
He gets a fast ball and pops it to Gimenez for out number one
Bottom 7th
Chacin is on the mound and will face Christian Vazquez to start off.
Omar Narvaez comes to the plate and gets the fastball treatment as well. Three straight bullets and Narvaez is out on strikes to end the inning.
He fights off another fastball, yanking it foul. He has seen nothing but heat. The payoff pitch is a slider that misses low. Acuña draws the two-out walk.
Ronald Acuña Jr comes to the plate and works the count full
Luis Arraez comes to the plate now and gets the same treatment. In no time at all, Puerto Rico have two outs here.
He comes back with some heat and gets Altuve swinging. Three quick strikes and they have one out.
His first pitch heads to the backstop. No pressure then.
Top 7th
Alexis Diaz takes the mound now for PR and will face Altuve to lead off.
Puerto Rico are back in the game, they pick up four runs and it is now 9-5 Venezuela.
Neftali Soto now up for Puerto Rico, trying to keep the rally alive. He flies out to center for out number three.
He hits a fly ball to center field, taken in by Acuña for out number two. Both runners tag. Melendez scores now it is 9-5
One out now for Eddie Rosario, with men on second and third.
Javi Baez comes to the plate and hits a slow dribbler to third. The throw to first gets him, but Kike scores as Melendez and Rivera advance. 9-4 game now. Perhaps there is life in Puerto Rico yet!
Rivera slaps a single to left to score Francisco Lindor! Kike Hernandez advances to 3rd and Melendez pulls in to 2nd. It is now 9-3!
Eduardo Rivera will be the first batter that he will face.
Jhoulys Chacin will get the call to try and dig Venezuela out of this hole.
Melendez comes to the plate and draws a walk on five pitches. The bases are now loaded and that prompts a mound visit. they are going to change pitchers here.
Kike slaps a rocket to third base. Escobar slapped it down but couldn't get to it. Machin scores as Lindor moves to 2nd. Puerto Rico claw one back and it is now 9-2
Kike Hernandez comes to the plate and just maybe PR see a little light here in the sixth.
Francisco Lindor bangs a single on a sharp ground ball to right as Machin advances to 3rd.
Machin comes to the plate to lead off and sees five pitches and gets the walk to put a runner on base for the top of the order.
Bottom 6th
Venezuela stays with Machado on the mound, but they swap out their catcher as Omar Narvaez takes over from Salvador Perez.
The third pitch is rolled to short and flipped to second for the fielder's choice to end the inning.
Eduardo Escobar now stands in and quickly gets in a hole 0-2
David Peralta comes to the plate and gets a walk on five pitches.
He feeds Cabrera a fastball that is knocked straight back out to center where it is caught for the second out.
As Miggy comes to the plate, that will be it for Santiago. Yadi makes the walk out to the mound and makes the switch. Dereck Rodriguez will take over the mound for Puerto Rico.
Gimenez hits a high fly ball to the warning track in right but it is hauled in for out number one.
Top 6th
Gimenez starts things off for Venezuela and PR are sticking with Santiago on the mound. I don't blame them. He has been the most effective pitcher today for them and you might as well ride along with him, saving your bullpen for tomorrow.
That last pitch was 98 mph and that ends the inning. We head to six with Venezuela firmly in the drivers seat.
He works the count to 2-2 before watching a called strike three. He got nothing but cutters and sinkers.
The first batter that Machado will face is Christian Vazquez.
With the WBC maximum pitch count now reached, Venezuela swap out Pablo Lopez. He has had a stellar evening. Andres Machado will come in to take over the mound duties.
Soto comes to the plate and jumps on the first pitch, flying it out to left for the second out of the inning.
Eddie Rosario comes up to lead things off and after a four seamer, gets fed a steady diet of change ups. He bangs one out to center, just shy of the wall, but Acuña gets under it for out number one.
Bottom 5th
Lopez is still hanging in there and his stuff has been so good today, it is a case of if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Anthony Santander comes to the plate and flies out to center to end the inning.
Salvador Perez bangs a shot to center for a double. Acuña, despite stumbling around third manages to score. They are still deadly, even with two outs. Venezuela extend their lead, now 9-1
Ronald Acuña hits one to short and beats out the throw. Vneezuela still have life.
Luis Arraez comes to the plate and nubs one off the end of the bat that is caught by Baez for out number two.
Top 5th
Santiago stays on the mound for PR and he manages to start off the right way, getting Jose Altuve to go down swinging for a quick out number one.
Javi Baez comes to the plate and gets jammed with a fastball. He pops it to short to end the inning. That was too easy for Venezuela, just clinical.
He gets three straight fastballs for strikes and takes a seat. Puerto Rico just look stunned at the moment.
Emmanuel Rivera comes to the plate.
The count is run full and the payoff pitch is a peach of a change up that gets Melendez swinging for out number one.
Bottom 4th
Lopez is still on the mound for Venzuela and he will face Melendez to start us off.
Eduardo Escobar comes to the plate and pops one to left field. Rosario puts it away to end the inning.
Peralta hits a little squibber to short, nobody was there and Lindor gets to it late. He has no play. Perez scores on the play as gimenez moves to third. Everybody safe and Venezuela extend their lead to 8-1
David Peralta comes to the plate with runners on second and third with two outs.
A hanging pitch gets slapped to short. The runners hold and the throw to first makes it two down.
Another slider makes it 2-2 and then he fouls two off. What were they? Any guesses? Sliders.
He sees three sliders in a row and the count goes to 1-2
Miggy now at the plate. This is what you want if you are Venezuela. They are showing patience and making the Puerto Ricans work for every pitch count.
The payoff pitch is lined into center field for a single. Perez advances to third on the play.
Gimenez comes to the plate and shows great discipline, working the count full.
Anthony Santander comes to the plate and pops one to first for the out. One down
Perez lines a double to right field to get things going.
Top 4
Hector Santiago is now on the mound for Puerto Rico and he will face Salvador Perez to lead off.
The count runs to 2-2 and he watches a called strike three fastball at the knees to end the inning. PR strand a runner and they really need to get in action soon.
Puerto Rico now have Lindor at first with two outs and Kike Hernandez comes to the dish.
The next pitch is a fastball that he hits to second. The get the lead runner but the throw to first is not in time.
Lindor is now at the plate and is served nothing but change ups. The count goes to 1-2
Vimael Machin comes to the plate and slaps a single to left on the first pitch.
There is some discussion with the umpire about the tag. Arraez never actually applied the glove or ball to Vazquez and his foot was not on the bag. Arraez's elbow is what made contact with Vazquez's head, and Yadi is arguing that he should be safe. But the umpires explain that by rule, the arm is an extension of the glove.
Bottom 3rd
Puerto Rico need to get back into this game, and they look stunned at the moment. Christian Vazquez leads off and chops one to third. A long throw takes Arraez off the bag and an acrobatic turn and tag manages to hurt both runner and fielder.
Moran is an excellent change up picher and he is sticking with that pitch, going with placement rather than power and gets out of trouble with a strikeout.
That now means another mound visit and Puerto Rico are in a pickle. They have gone through three pitchers in as many innings and now have Ronald Acuña Jr at the plate, bases loaded, two outs.
The count now full and all the runners are going with two outs and the payoff is miles off the mark. Ball four and the bases are loaded.
Another ball and strike go by and the count runs to 2-2.
Now runners at first and secon. The slower of the two in Cabrera is on the lead base, as Luis Arraez comes to the plate. He watches a ball and a strike go by.
Altuve works the count to 2-2, a bit unusual for such an aggressive swinger. The next pitch is low and he now has a full count.
The payoff pitch misses inside and Altuve gets the pass.
Top 3rd
Eduardo Escobar is at the plate and goes down swinging on a filthy change up. That will bring up Jose Altuve with now two away.
In the top of the 3rd Miggy hit a single to center, signalling the end of the night for Cruz. Jovani Moran came onto the mound to get David Peralta to pop out for the first out of the inning and that brings us up to date on the game.
We now join the action live, and thank you for riding along with us on that technical glitch.
Neftali Soto strikes out to end the inning but Puerto Rico is out of the blocks at least. They have a lot of ground to make up, down as they are 7-1
In the bottom of the second, Emmanuel Rivera pops out and Javi Baez goes down swinging before Eddie Rosario finally gets a punch in for Puerto Rico, hitting a solo home run to right center.
Santander strikes out swinging and Gimenez grounds out to end the inning, but my Lord! Venezuela are stamping their name on this game.
Three more runs scored on the bomb and Venezuela goes up 7-0!
After a pitching change, as Jose Berrios was simply hit all over the park, Fernando Cruz was brought on and managed to get an immediate pop out from Acuña, before Salvador Perez smashed the second homer of the night!
Arraez followed this up with a single to right, putting men at the corners with nobody out in the second.
The bottom half of the inning went 1,2,3 and Altuve led off the second with another smash. He hit a double just off the third base line to get it going again.
David Peralta walked and then Eduardo Escobar hit into a double play to end the inning. What a ride!
Andres Gimenez hit a single and then Miggy struckout for the first out of the inning, if you can believe that.
Then Anthony Santander smashed a rocket of a homer to right center field, scoring Ronald Acuna Jr. and Salvador Perez. In just a few minutes Venezuela is up 4-0.
Ronald Acuna Jr. then walked to set up Salvador Perez banging a single with a rocket of a line drive to right. Jose Altuve scored and Ronald Acuna Jr. moved over to 3rd to open the scoring.
Luis Arraez followed that up by grounding out to second as Jose Altuve advanced to 2nd on the play.
How the opening went
Venezuela led the game off with Jose Altuve reaching base on a throwing error by second baseman Javier Baez.
Welcome to the live commentary coverage of the Venezuela vs Puerto Rico game here as Venezuela tries to maintain the role of giant killer, only one day after stunning the Dominican Republic.
These two teams are true powerhouses and both are known for their offensive production so we can look forward to a real shootout tonight.
Due to technical difficulties in our offices, we are joining the action as it has already started, and the top of the first inning was a doozy!