Here are the latest updates on Yankees who are playing in the World Baseball Classic…
March 15
USA vs. Dominican Republic
The United States advanced to Tuesday night’s World Baseball Classic title game with a 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic that saw a trio of Yanks perform well.
Aaron Judge cracked a single in his first at-bat, but finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts at the plate. But he was involved in the two biggest plays on defense on the night. First in the bottom of the third, the reigning AL MVP gunned down Fernando Tatis Jr. at third base to end the inning with a perfect throw.
Then, in the top of the 5th, Judge cranked a ball deep to center (109.9 mph off the bat), but Julio Rodriguez made a leaping grab to rob him of a homer for a 407-foot out that would have been gone in 14 of 30 big-league parks. (But not Yankee Stadium.)
Reliever David Bednar put himself into and out of trouble during the seventh inning as he tried to protect the Americans’ 2-1 lead. After getting the first out, there was a bit of Yankee-on-Yankee crime as Austin Wells ribbed a double to right on a ball that got over Judge’s head. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a single to left, but Wells was held at third base.
Perdomo would steal second a few pitches later, but Bednar kept the US ahead, getting Tatis to swing through three splitters all below the zone and winning a five-pitch battle with Ketel Marte whiffing at a 1-2 curveball in the dirt.
The double was Wells’ only hit, as he finished his WBC by going 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
March 14
Puerto Rico vs. Italy
Fernando Cruz continued his scoreless streak in the WBC with 1.1 more shutout innings against Team Italy which included two strikeouts.
Cruz entered in the fourth inning with Team Puerto Rico down 8-2 following a two-run ground-rule double by J.J. D’Orazio that capped a four-run inning. The right-hander immediately put out the fire by striking out Dante Nori to end the frame and went back out for the fifth where he had a 1-2-3 inning.
With Puerto Rico getting bounced from the tournament after an 8-6 loss, Cruz ended his WBC with 2.2 scoreless innings across three appearances.
Before joining Puerto Rico, Cruz had not allowed a run in three games with the Yankees meaning the right-hander has yet to be scored upon this spring.
March 13
USA vs. Canada
Aaron Judge went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in Team USA’s quarterfinal game against Canada. While that was impressive, Yankees closer David Bednar had the performance of the night, thanks to escaping a jam in the seventh.
With Team USA holding on to a 5-3 lead, Bednar allowed two singles with no outs. Catcher Cal Raleigh allowed a ball to get past him to set Canada up with runners on second and third and still no one out. Bednar bounced back to get Josh Naylor to pop out, Tyler O’Neil to strike out and to get outfield prospect Owen Caissie to strike out swinging on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
Bednar preserved the USA’s lead as they will now go on to face the Dominican Republic on Sunday in the semifinals.
Korea vs. Dominican Republic
Austin Wells didn’t get the start in Friday’s quarterfinal game — the Marlins’ Agustin Ramirez got the nod — but the Yankees backstop made his presence known. In his lone at-bat, Team DR was up 7-0. With runners on first and third and two outs, Wells ambushed the first pitch he saw and deposited a three-run shot over the right-field wall.
Per the WBC’s mercy rule, Team DR was up by 10 after seven innings, giving the team the victory.
The Dominican Republic will now face Team USA in the semifinals.
March 11
Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela
Team DR beat Venezuela on Wednesday to finish undefeated in pool play, and secure the top spot in Pool D.
Austin Wells reached three times on the night and scored one of the team’s seven runs.
He drew a walk ahead of a Fernando Tatis Jr. homer in the fourth, singled up the middle in the sixth, then walked again on six pitches with two outs in the eighth.
Wells is hitting just .162 for the tourney, but this was arguably his best showing.
Fellow Yankee Camilo Doval also played a part, as he struck out one and needed just 12 pitches to work through a perfect bottom of the eighth.
Team DR will now face Korea on Friday night in the quarterfinals.
March 10
Italy vs. USA
The Yankees had plenty of representation in this game, and they all played a part in Team USA’s near-comeback on Tuesday night.
Once down 8-0, Team USA stormed back to cut Italy’s lead to 8-6 in the ninth inning. Aaron Judge came up as the tying run with two outs, but struck out swinging on a 1-2 changeup low and out of the zone from Greg Weissert, to finish the miraculous win by Italy.
Judge finished 0-for-4 with a walk.
Yankees closer David Bednar appeared in the eighth with the USA down 8-4 and helped keep Italy off the board. The right-hander struck out two batters, but his most impressive display was getting out of a bases-loaded jam after allowing two hits and hitting a batter without allowing a run.
Paul Goldschmidt got his first start of the WBC, and the former MVP went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Ryan Yarbrough took over for Mets rookie Nolan McLean in the fourth inning. The southpaw struggled, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits and one walk while striking out two batters.
March 9
Mexico vs. USA
Aaron Judgeshowed off his arm and then hit a two-run home run to put the Americans ahead during a five-run third inning that accounted for all of USA’s runs in a 5-3 win over Mexico on Monday night in Houston. The Yankee captain finished the game 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBI.
Brazil vs Great Britain
Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s run with the British came to a close on Monday, but not after the Yankee infielder went 2-for-5 with three RBI in an 8-1 win over Brazil. Brendan Beck, the No. 22 prospect in the Yanks’ system, got the start and, despite walking two, the right-hander delivered four scoreless innings on 53 pitches (31 strikes) with four strikeouts.
Colombia vs. Panama
Jose Caballero hit the ball hard all five times he came up to bat, but only came away with two hits. Fortunately for the infielder, one of those hard hits was a 370-foot home run (106.2 mph exit velocity) and the other a 97.6 mph single. Unfortunately for him, Panama fell 4-3 despite him going 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Cuba vs. Puerto Rico
Fernando Cruz allowed a walk, but struck out two during a scoreless eighth inning of work in Puerto Rico’s 4-1 win. Cruz got four whiffs on five swings and needed just 18 pitches (seven strikes) for the clean inning. Elmer Rodriguez, who was sent down to minor league camp on Monday, but in his starter he allowed one hit and three walks while striking out three over three scoreless innings and was the game’s winning pitcher. He threw 50 pitches (21 strikes).
Dominican Republic vs. Israel
Amed Rosario went hitless in his lone at-bat after entering the game off the bench in a 10-1 win.
March 7
Panama vs. Puerto Rico
Jose Caballero was on the doorstep of being his country’s hero on Saturday. In the 10th inning of their game with Puerto Rico, Caballero lined a single up the middle to give Panama a 3-2 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Caballero made a sensational double play to get two outs, but Puerto Rico tied the game and eventually won it a hitter later on a Darell Hernaiz walk-off homer.
Caballero finished 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
USA vs. Great Britain
Aaron Judge didn’t have the night he did the day before, but he was still effective, driving home a run on a single to left field in Team USA’s three-run sixth inning. The Yankees and Team USA captain finished 1-for-5 with a strikeout.
Yankees closer David Bednar made an appearance, striking out two in a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
On the other side, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is still looking for his first WBC hit after a rough 0-for-4 performance with four strikeouts for the golden sombrero.
March 6
USA vs. Brazil
Aaron Judge got the night started for Team USA with a two-run shot in his first-ever WBC at-bat. The captain finished 1-for-4 with two walks and three runs scored, but he could have done a lot more damage. In his second at-bat, Judge had his bat sawed off by 17-year-old Joseph Contreras — son of former Yankees pitcher Jose Contreras — to ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
Despite that missed opportunity, Team USA went on to win 15-5 over Brazil.
Dominican Republic vs. Nicaragua
Yankees reliever Camilo Doval pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning to pick up the hold in DR’s 12-3 win. Yankees catcher Austin Wells went 0-for-5 with a strikeout for DR, while Amed Rosario came in to pinch-run and play third base in the later innings.
Puerto Rico vs. Colombia
Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz got on out to get out of a jam in the eighth as PR went on to win 5-0.
Panama vs. Cuba
Jose Caballero went 0-for-2 with a walk in Panama’s 3-1 loss
Great Britain vs. Mexico
Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 0-for-5 with a strikeout, leading off for Great Britain in the team’s 8-2 loss to Mexico.
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