2013 World Baseball Classic – Pool 2

March 13 19:00 at Marlins Park

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Italy	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	3	9	3
Puerto Rico	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	X	4	8	1
WP: Hiram Burgos (1−0)   LP: Brian Sweeney (0−1)   Sv: Fernando Cabrera (2) Attendance: 27,296 (74.3%) Umpires: HP − Mark Wegner, 1B − Paul Hyham, 2B − Marvin Hudson, 3B − Edgar Estivision Boxscore

Italy's early lead in the 5th inning has caused team Puerto Rico to bring themselves closer to elimination until they have managed to ultimately steal the lead from the Italians when the Puerto Rican scored three additional runs from the eighth inning, as the Italian teams struggle to get ahead, only to end up earning themselves two more errors, as Puerto Rico clinched their win over Italy.

March 14 19:00 at Marlins Park

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Dominican Republic	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	9	1
United States	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	1
WP: Pedro Strop (3−0)   LP: Craig Kimbrel (0−1)   Sv: Fernando Rodney (4) Home runs: DOM: Hanley Ramírez (1) USA: None Attendance: 34,366 (93.5%) Umpires: HP − Ángel Hernández, 1B − Katsumi Manabe, 2B − Marvin Hudson, 3B − Edgar Estivision Boxscore

Tournament RBI leader and American leader David Wright sat the game out with a sore back.[2] The game was close all the way to the 9th inning. American closer Craig Kimbrel came in for the 9th inning of the 1−1 game, to try to keep the score tied. Immediately Kimbrel gave up a lead-off double to Nelson Cruz, despite not giving up one all year with the Atlanta Braves in 2012. Erick Aybar drove Cruz in and would later score himself, on a single by José Reyes, as the Dominican Republic would maintain their undefeated record.

MLB Network announcer Tom Verducci, on seeing the jubilant reaction of the Dominican players after they took the lead in the game, said "this is beyond October."

March 15 19:00 at Marlins Park

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Puerto Rico	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	4	9	1
United States	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	3	8	0
WP: Nelson Figueroa (2−0)   LP: Ryan Vogelsong (1−1)   Sv: J. C. Romero (1) Attendance: 19,762 (53.8%) Umpires: HP − Mark Wegner, 1B − Ángel Hernández, 2B − Edgar Estivision, 3B − Paul Hyham Boxscore

The US team (with David Wright unable to play) and the Puerto Rico team played a second time. Puerto Rico took an early lead in the first inning and stretched the lead further in the sixth inning 4-0. The US struggled to catch up, but J.C. Romero barely managed to stave off from the bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning. The Puerto Rico team defeated the US team, 4-3, so that Puerto Rico qualified as the pool's second team in the championship round, and earning their payback from a 6-5 loss in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.