Havana, March 10 (RHC) – The Dominican Republic secured its qualification for the second round of the World Baseball Classic by defeating Israel 10-1 in the game that opened the group stage at LoanDepot Park.
With a 3-0 record, the Dominican Republic will close out its initial phase schedule this Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. local time against Venezuela, in a match that could decide first place in Group D, although both teams have already qualified.
After that game, their opponent in the next stage will be determined: South Korea on Friday or Japan on Saturday.
Dominican Fernando Tatis Jr. shone on Monday, hitting the first grand slam of the tournament and driving in six runs, his performance being key to the victory.
The Dominican Republic’s starting pitcher, Brayan Bello, also had an outstanding performance, controlling the Israeli offense and allowing only one hit, a solo home run by Spencer Horwitz, over five innings, while also striking out seven.
With this win, the Dominican Republic improved its record to 3-0 and secured its qualification for the next round.
The result also guaranteed Venezuela’s passage to the quarterfinals, regardless of the outcome of Wednesday’s match between the two teams. The defeat eliminated Israel (1-2) from the group stage.
