Baseball notes: Puerto Rico knocks U.S. out of WBC

From wire reports

MIAMI — Once again, the United States could only watch as an opposing pitcher celebrated at the World Baseball Classic.

This time it was 38-year-old right-hander Nelson Figueroa, who became the pride of Puerto Rico on Friday night when he led his team into the semifinals and eliminated the Americans 4-3.

After Figueroa threw his last pitch to end the sixth inning, he leaped off the mound with a hoot like a kid at recess, then ran to catcher Yadier Molina to share a hug.

On Thursday, demonstrative Dominicans dominated the All-Star-laden U.S. lineup. The Americans endured a scoreless streak of 14 innings spanning the two defeats, and Figueroa limited them to two singles in six shutout innings.

J.C. Romero escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and retired the final four batters for his first save. The last out triggered a pileup of Puerto Ricans behind the mound.

They advanced for the first time to the semifinals, which begin Sunday in San Francisco. They'll play the Dominican Republic on Saturday in the final game in Miami, which will determine seedings for the championship round.

Two-time defending champion Japan and the Netherlands round out the final four.

Figueroa (2-0) has a modest 20-35 record for six teams in nine major-league seasons, with his most recent big-league game in May 2011. After pitching in Triple-A last year, he dominated the Americans, allowing only a single by Brandon Phillips in the fourth and a single by Jimmy Rollins in the sixth.

Puerto Rico lost to the United States 7-1 on Tuesday, then staved off elimination Wednesday, rallying from a 3-1 deficit in the eighth inning to beat Italy.

The hits kept coming Friday, and the Puerto Ricans scored all four runs with two out. Mike Aviles had an RBI single in the first, and Andy Gonzalez doubled home two runs in the sixth.

Ryan Vogelsong (1-1) gave up two runs in 5 2-3 innings.

When Figueroa hit the tournament's 80-pitch limit, Giovanni Soto came on and gave up an RBI single to Giancarlo Stanton in the seventh.

Trailing 4-1, the Americans continued their rally in the eighth. Rollins and Phillips singled off Jose De La Torre, and Ryan Braun followed with an RBI double. Joe Mauer walked to load the bases, and with two out, Fernando Cabrera walked Ben Zobrist to force in a run and make it 4-3.

Eric Hosmer then grounded out again Romero, who followed with a perfect ninth.

The crowd of 19,762 was smaller and more subdued than on Thursday, when the Dominican Republic transformed the ballpark into a Caribbean carnival by beating the United States. But Puerto Rican fans honked air horns and waved flags with each hit by their team and each out by the Americans.

Puerto Rico scored in the first inning on a leadoff single by Angel Pagan and two-out singles by Molina and Aviles.

The Puerto Ricans added three runs in the sixth, helped by three walks. Vinny Pestano replaced Vogelsong and walked in a run, then gave up Gonzalez's double.

Briefly

•  Tigers: Minor league right-hander Cesar Carrillo has been suspended 100 games for violating baseball’s minor league drug prevention and treatment program. Carrillo’s suspension is effective at the start of the season. He is currently on the roster of Detroit’s Double-A affiliate. Carrillo’s name was included in a Miami New Times report earlier this year, when the alternative weekly newspaper said it had acquired records from a Florida clinic the paper said sold performance-enhancing drugs.

•  Mets: Third baseman David Wright has a moderate strain on the left side of his rib cage and will rest for several days. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Wright will rest for three to five days. Alderson says it's too soon to predict whether Wright will be ready to play on opening day on April 1. The All-Star was a late scratch from the U.S. lineup against the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic on Thursday night and returned to New York for tests. ... Lucas Duda homered and Jeremy Hefner, bidding for a starting spot in the Mets’ rotation, struck out the last six batters he faced in a five-inning stint to help the New York Mets beat the Atlanta Braves 5-2 on Friday.

•  Yankees: New York ace CC Sabathia made his spring training debut, allowing two runs and eight hits over five innings in the Yankees' 7-3 victory over Miami. The left-hander struck out two and walked one in his first game since arthroscopic surgery Oct. 25 to remove a bone spur from his left elbow. He pitched in several simulated games before making the start Friday. Derek Jeter played shortstop flawlessly for the second time since ankle surgery last fall. The New York captain went 1 for 3, hitting a single between short and third in the third.

•  Braves: B.J. Upton had a double and single in three at-bats for Atlanta on Friday, raising his spring average to .444 (20 for 44). He is 10 for 14 in his past five games.

•  Cardinals: Adam Wainwright limited Washington to one run in six strong innings in St. Louis' 5-1 exhibition victory over the Nationals on Friday, his second consecutive impressive start since a fan helped him fix a mechanical flaw.

The right-hander was leaving the stadium following a rough start against the Nationals on March 2 when a group of fans handed him picture. He noticed his stride had shortened this spring and he extended it 6 inches for his next outing. In two starts since the change, he has allowed one earned run in 10 2-3 innings.

•  Royals: Luke Hochevar worked two perfect innings in relief and a Kansas City split-squad rallied to beat a San Diego split-squad 7-5. Hochevar was sent to the bullpen Wednesday after struggling the past five seasons as a starter.

•  Padres: Former TCU pitcher Andrew Cashner allowed one run on three hits in 2 1-3 innings in San Diego’s 8-7 split-squad victory over Los Angeles. Cashner struck out two in his second spring outing, using primarily fastballs that reached 97 mph.

•  Orioles: Former Weatherford High School standout Zach Britton allowed just one hit in 3 2-3 innings as Baltimore and Boston played to a 3-3 10-inning tie. Britton is battling for the Orioles’ fifth starter position along with former TCU standout Jake Arrieta, Steve Johnson, Jair Jurrjens and Brian Matusz.

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