The World Baseball Classic quarterfinals continue on Saturday with one of the feel-good matchups of the tournament — Italy against Puerto Rico. The semifinals will be played on Sunday and Monday, but first, the matchups must be finalized. Let’s break down the first of two Saturday games.
Puerto Rico vs. Italy
When: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET
Where: Daikin Park, Houston, Texas
Watch: FS1
How they got here: Team Italy has been one of the feel-good stories of this WBC. Led by an energetic manager (former Yankees and Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli) and a committed big-league slugger (Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino), the Italians assembled perhaps the strongest roster in the country’s history and promptly went 4-0 in Pool A with notable wins against Team USA and Team Mexico. Only the loaded Dominican Republic had a higher team OPS in the round robin phase of the tournament.
Team Puerto Rico, on the other hand, came into the tournament on a bit of a low note, having lost key players (Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Javier Báez and others) due to insurance and eligibility issues. Nonetheless, the Puerto Rican team went 3-1 with the lowest team ERA in pool play, and their only loss was by one run. They no longer have the home-field advantage, though, as the tournament has shifted to the United States after Puerto Rico hosted Pool A in San Juan.
Star gazing: Pasquantino has become the centerpiece of the Italian lineup, and he delivered a three-homer game against Mexico to seal Italy’s place in the quarterfinals. Pasquantino is one of the biggest names in this quarterfinal matchup, and he’s playing alongside some younger Italian hitters (Jakob Marsee, Jac Caglianone, Dominic Canzone) who can be impactful. Puerto Rico would surely like to get more offense from its most established hitters, including Nolan Arenado and Heliot Ramos, neither of whom was particularly productive in pool play. Puerto Rico is starting veteran Seth Lugo — who calls himself “Quarter Rican” — in this quarterfinal game.
Great unknown: Puerto Rico’s lineup has been diminished because of all the players unable to compete, but their pitching has been excellent. Luis Quiñones and Jovani Moran have combined for seven hitless innings out of the bullpen ahead of closer Edwin Díaz, who’s faced seven batters and struck out five of them. Both Italy and Puerto Rico are leaning on a handful of less-established big leaguers — Athletics’ teammates Darell Hernaiz and Carlos Cortes for Puerto Rico; White Sox prospect Sam Antonacci for Italy — so they’re getting a chance to shine in big spots. Team Italy also lost a big-league player when catcher Kyle Teel was injured in the game against Team USA. J.J. D’Orazio, who signed a minor-league deal with the Angels, has stepped in behind the plate.
