Team Mexico advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic -- the first time they have ever advanced this far -- in dramatic fashion. They earned their opportunity after coming back from an early 4-0 deficit against Team Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals.
The climb up the scoreboard mountain was capped off by a Luis Urias go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning, along with stellar defensive play later in the contest.
To begin that key seventh inning, Puerto Rico sent Alexis Diaz -- brother of injured Mets closer Edwin Diaz -- to the mound. Trying to protect a 4-1 lead, Diaz allowed the first three runners to reach base before he was pulled in favor of Jorge Lopez.
While Lopez recorded the first two outs without allowing a run to cross home plate, he was unable to complete the Houdini act, surrendering a game-tying Isaac Paredes jam shot into left field. Urias proceeded to bring home Paredes with a go-ahead RBI single to push Mexico to a 5-4 advantage.
Mexico still had to hold onto that lead through to the end of the contest, though. In the top of the eighth inning, Puerto Rico tried to rally back. A one-out walk by MJ Melendez put the potential tying run on base and brought up Emmanuel Rivera, who proceeded to smash the ball to deep left-center, only for Randy Arozarena to run it down with a little hop. While the ball would not have left the park, had it fallen, the game would have almost certainly been tied up -- Melendez was on the move when Rivera lined up his pitch.
In the ninth inning, Giovanny Gallegos would close out the game for Team Mexico to secure their semifinal bid. Mexico will try to keep their run going when they tango with Japan on Sunday night. A trip to the WBC finals will be on the line in that contest.
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