SAN DIEGO — Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead homer and the United States eliminated the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic, beating the defending champions 6-3 Saturday night to earn a spot in the semifinals.
Stanton’s two-run shot into the third-floor balcony of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building in the left-field corner at Petco Park gave the United States a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning. It put a charge into the sellout crowd of 43,002 and helped send the Americans to the championship round at Dodger Stadium, where they will face Japan in a semifinal game Tuesday night.
Three innings later, San Diego native Adam Jones made a spectacular, leaping catch over the fence in the deepest part of the park in right-center to rob Baltimore Orioles teammate Manny Machado of a home run. Machado tipped his helmet to Jones.
Robinson Cano then homered to left to pull the Dominican Republic to 4-3.
Andrew McCutchen gave Team USA some breathing room with a two-run double in the eighth, and Luke Gregerson pitched a perfect ninth to close it out.
This is the second time in four editions of the WBC that the United States has advanced to the semifinals. It lost to Japan in 2009.
The Dominican players, who rallied to beat the United States one week earlier in Miami in the first round, will disperse back to big league camps. They finished 1-2 in the second round after going 3-0 in the opening round.
Brandon Crawford hit a two-out single to left-center ahead of Stanton’s homer, which was estimated at 403 feet and chased Dominican starter Ervin Santana.
Stanton’s shot was reminiscent of his Home Run Derby victory at Petco Park on July 11, when he peppered the far reaches of the big downtown ballpark, including hitting one onto the top of the 108-year-old brick warehouse.
Earlier on Saturday, Puerto Rico completed a 3-0 run through Pool F by beating Venezuela 13-2. Puerto Rico clinched first place in the pool with a 6-5 victory against the United States on Friday night and will play the Netherlands in the semifinals Monday night at Dodger Stadium. The championship game is Wednesday night.
The Dominicans jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Cano and an RBI single by Carlos Santana. One run was unearned due to Crawford’s throwing error at shortstop. Crawford threw out Nelson Cruz trying to score on Starling Marte’s grounder, though.
The United States tied it in the third on Ian Kinsler’s RBI grounder and Christian Yelich’s run-scoring double.
The Dominicans had three more scoring chances but failed each time.
Gregory Polanco singled and Welington Castillo doubled to open the second before Danny Duffy retired the side.
They threatened again in the fifth when Machado hit a leadoff single to chase Duffy. Cruz hit a one-out double off Pat Neshek, who then retired Carlos Santana on a popup and struck out Marte. Neshek pumped his fists as he walked off the mound.
Duffy allowed two runs, one earned, and six hits in four-plus innings. He struck out one and walked one.
Santana gave up four runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked none.
Puerto Rico 13,
Venezuela 2
SAN DIEGO — Mike Aviles got four hits and drove in three runs as Puerto Rico, already assured a spot in the World Baseball Classic semifinals, beat Venezuela 13-2 Saturday for its sixth straight win in the tournament.
Puerto Rico, runner-up to the Dominican Republic in the 2013 WBC, will play the Netherlands on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
Kennys Vargas hit a two-run homer and Angel Pagan added a double and two singles as Puerto Rico got 17 hits. A day earlier, Carlos Correa, Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina helped Puerto Rico hold off the United States 6-5.
Starter Jose De Leon pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings for the win. Martin Perez took the loss.
Venezuela lost to Puerto Rico for the second time in this year’s WBC. It fell 11-0 in an abbreviated first-round game shortened because of the mercy rule.
Puerto Rico put the game out of reach with a five-run seventh after Venezuela pulled to within 5-2 on Rougned Odor’s two-run homer in the sixth.
Reymond Fuentes’ RBI double and Pagan’s run-scoring single made it 5-0 in the sixth.
Aviles’ two-out single pushed Puerto Rico to a 3-0 lead in the fifth. Carlos Correa, who had walked for the second time, scored on the hit.
Correa doubled in the third and scored an unearned run when T. J. Rivera’s slow roller to the right side was fielded cleanly by first baseman Hernan Perez, who made an errant throw to Martin Perez at first.
Venezuela loaded with the bases loaded and one out in the second. Hernan Perez lifted a shallow fly ball to left, but Victor Martinez was late returning to third base to tag up. Martinez attempted to score, but he was an easy out at the plate on Pagan’s throw.