WBC 2013: Puerto Rico Eliminates USA 4-3

WBC NewsPuerto Rico beat the United States 4-3 to eliminate Team USA from the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Down by four runs late against Puerto Rico, the United States rallied for a run in the bottom of the seventh, cutting its deficit to 4-1 and added two more runs in the eighth but could get no closer.

Puerto Rico starter Nelson Figueroa pitched two hit shutout baseball  over six innings of work. J.C. Romero  came on in the eighth to record a four out save for Puerto Rico. The 1-0 game was opened up when Puerto Rico scored  three times after U.S. manager Joe Torre took starter Ryan Vogelsong out at 73 pitches, seven short of the 80-pitch second round limit.

Puerto Rico now advances to play the Dominican Republic on Saturday and into the semifinals at AT&T Park in San Francisco on either Sunday or Monday. The U.S. was 3-3 in the tournament and 1-2 in the second round, defeating Puerto Rico on Tuesday night, 7-1, for its only win in Pool D.