World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic has been everything it promised to be and more, as the tournament has given fans some of the best action and atmosphere that the sport has to offer.

And now, it's time for the final four teams to fight it out in Miami at loanDepot Park.

There have been dominant performances by familiar stars as well as huge upsets, with title favorites like the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico being knocked out earlier than anyone expected.

The semifinals are sure to bring more of the same as Cuba, Japan, Mexico and the United States all look to be crowned as the world's best in what has been the most watched and attended WBC since the tournament began in 2006.

Here's the schedule for the rest of the tournament and a preview of each semifinal matchup.

Updated World Baseball Classic Schedule

Semifinal 1: Cuba vs. USA, March 19, 7 p.m. ET on FS1

Semifinal 2: Mexico vs. Japan, March 20, 7 p.m. ET on FS1

Final: March 21, 7 p.m. ET on FS1

Cuba vs. USA

Always one for the dramatics, Team USA left it late in its spectacular quarterfinal matchup against Venezuela to punch its ticket to the final four.

An eighth-inning grand slam by Trea Turner was arguably the biggest hit of the tournament, as it gave the reigning champions a 9-7 lead that they would never relinquish.

While Team USA has played well throughout the tournament, it hasn't been as dominant as expected when the roster was first announced. The team didn't top its pool after being stunned by Mexico.

But carrying over the electricity from Saturday's win could spark the Americans to an appearance in the final in front of their home fans.

Meanwhile, Cuba is perhaps the least heralded of all the teams to make it to the semifinals, though not for a lack of talent. Current and former MLB players like Yoán Moncada, Luis Robert Jr. and Yoenis Cespedes are representing the country.

Cuba advanced as the top team in Pool A after winning a complicated five-way tiebreaker as everyone in the group went 2-2. The team then went on to squeeze past Australia 4-3 in the quarterfinals.

Although it doesn't have as much talent on paper as the United States, Cuba certainly has the type of firepower that could give the Americans some trouble if they aren't careful Sunday.

Mexico vs. Japan

While most fans expected Japan to make it to this stage of the tournament—if not go on to win the whole thing—Mexico has crashed the semifinals party after it topped the United States in Pool C play and beat Puerto Rico in an electrifying quarterfinal matchup.

Mexico has been sparked by Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena, who might just be the player of the tournament so far, an impressive feat considering all the stars participating.

Arozarena, who is Cuban-born but became a Mexican citizen in 2022, has been on an absolute tear hitting .471/.625/.941 with a home run and nine RBIs, the latter of which is good for second-most in the tournament.

He has also played tremendous and clutch defense.

Mexico will have its work cut out for it, however, as they take on a Japan team that has looked like the WBC's best up to this point after completing dominating Pool B and then cruising to a 9-3 quarterfinal win over Italy.

Japan has what seems to be a perfect blend of offense and pitching, with players like Shohei Ohtani, Masataka Yoshida, Yu Darvish and Rōki Sasaki all playing huge roles in the team's run so far.

As a World Series champion and two-time MLB All-Star, Trea Turner has had plenty of big hits in big spots.

But the Philadelphia Phillies shortstop believes his grand slam against Venezuela in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic on Saturday is the biggest of his career so far.

Down 7-5 in the top of the eighth inning, Turner's 407-foot grand slam at loanDepot Park in Miami sent the crowd into a frenzy as the reigning champions punched their ticket to the semifinals with a 9-7 win.

The Americans now have a date with Cuba on Sunday for an opportunity to defend their title.

Turner also said that the atmosphere inside the park was the loudest that he had ever experienced.

The 29-year-old has had a pretty good tournament thus far as he is hitting .286/.375/.714 with two home runs and six RBIs, one of the best offensive producers for the United States.

Turner's comments have been a consistent theme throughout the competition amid some criticism about the importance of the games being played, especially following the injury to Mets' star closer Edwin Díaz.

The WBC has demonstrated the passion and intensity that have come from international fan bases, and it has become extremely meaningful for the players involved as well. Other stars on the team like Mike Trout and Mookie Betts have also spoken out in defense of the tournament.

Trea Turner went full Captain America on Saturday night.

The Philadelphia Phillies shortstop was the catalyst for the United States in the team's 9-7 victory over Venezuela in the quarterfinals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park in Miami.

With the U.S. trailing Venezuela 7-5 following a solo home run by Luis Arraez in the bottom of the seventh inning, Turner hit a grand slam in the top of the eighth inning to put the Americans on top 9-7.

Oh, and he was down 0-2 in the count when he launched one into the left field stands, making it that much more impressive.

While Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt and Kyle Tucker also drove in runs for the United States on Saturday night, it was Turner who sent Twitter into a frenzy as he helped lift the Americans to a berth in the semifinals:

The United States is aiming to win its second World Baseball Classic title in a row. If they win it all this year, they would join Japan as the only back-to-back winners in the tournament's history. Japan accomplished the feat in 2006 and 2009.

The Americans will be back in action on Sunday against Cuba at 7 p.m. ET with a spot in the championship game on the line.

Randy Arozarena has never met a big moment he couldn't tame.

The star Tampa Bay Rays outfielder provided the key moment in Mexico's 5-4 upset win over Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic on Friday, pulling in a ridiculous catch in the eighth inning to preserve his country's lead.

That followed a two-run single by Isaac Paredes in the bottom of the seventh and a one-run single by Luis Urias to give Mexico the 5-4 advantage, erasing a 4-0 deficit after Puerto Rico jumped all over them in the top of the first.

Paredes also blasted a solo home run, leading Mexico with three RBI.

But it was Arozarena who had baseball Twitter buzzing with his monstrous outfield snag:

Is it really surprising that Arozarena came up clutch? In his postseason career with the Rays, he's hit .333 with 23 runs, 11 homers and a shocking 1.121 OPS in 31 games. The man is a big-game marvel.

And for good measure, he also scored the game's tying run. When the chips were down, Arozarena had the best hand.

The top of the ninth still got hairy for Mexico, as Puerto Rico put the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first with two outs. But Giovanny Gallegos struck out Enrique Hernandez to end the game, earning the save.

JoJo Romero (0.2 IP, no hits, no runs, one walk) earned the win, while Alexis Díaz (three runs allowed, no outs registered) took home the loss.

So Puerto Rico's stacked roster is heading home, while Mexico continues its magical run. Arozarena, as usual, came up with the goods when it mattered most.

The World Baseball Classic has gotten mixed reviews among fans, but Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout has been enjoying himself with Team USA.

"This is the funnest experience I've had on a baseball field," Trout said, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. "To represent your country, it's been a blast. Obviously, there's risk involved. [But] you're still playing baseball in spring training. For me, being part of this atmosphere, it's special. It means a lot to me. I knew going in it was going to be a fun time. I never knew it was going to be this fun."

The normally reserved Trout showed his emotion after helping the United States earn a 3-2 win over Colombia on Wednesday:

The outfielder drove in all three runs on three hits to help Team USA clinch a spot in the tournament's quarterfinal.

Trout is used to a high level of production during his career, winning three MVP awards with 10 All-Star selections, although team success has mostly eluded him at the major-league level. His only playoff appearance came in 2014 and his team was eliminated in a three-game sweep.

It makes the latest high-stakes tournament a more unique experience for Trout.

Meanwhile, the comments from such a high-profile player serve as an endorsement for an event that has earned plenty of criticism. New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz is expected to miss the season after suffering a knee injury at the World Baseball Classic, creating question marks about the risk involved in a non-MLB competition.

From Trout's perspective, however, the experience is worth the gamble.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz underwent successful surgery to repair a patellar tendon injury, the team announced Thursday.

According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the expected timeline for recovery is eight months, which would cost him the entire 2023 season.

Andy Martino of SNY first reported Diaz could miss "perhaps the entire season" after suffering the injury during the World Baseball Classic.

The pitcher got hurt during a postgame celebration as Puerto Rico defeated the Dominican Republic on Wednesday:

Diaz underwent an MRI on Thursday and determined surgery was necessary.

"It sucks, when you see a guy that works so hard like Edwin," Puerto Rico manager Yadier Molina told reporters after the game. "When you see him on the ground like that. It's sad."

The injury could be damaging for Puerto Rico as it tries to win the World Baseball Classic, but there is a greater concern for the Mets after they signed the pitcher to a five-year, $102 million contract in the offseason, the largest deal ever given to a reliever.

The 28-year-old earned the deal after a dominant 2022 season, finishing with a 1.31 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 61 appearances, plus an incredible 17.1 strikeouts per nine innings. He earned his second All-Star selection and earned votes for both Cy Young and MVP in the National League.

After a disappointing first season in New York in 2019 following a trade from the Seattle Mariners, Diaz has a 2.27 ERA and 15.4 strikeouts per nine innings over his last three years.

Losing Diaz for an extended stretch is a major blow to the Mets pitching staff, especially with starter Jose Quintana expected to be out until July.

Adam Ottavino and David Robertson would likely be the top candidates to handle closing duties for the Mets heading into the start of the season.

The United States is moving on at the 2023 World Baseball Classic after defeating Colombia 3-2 on Wednesday night in Pool C action at Chase Field in Arizona.

The Americans entered Wednesday's contest second in Pool C with a 2-1 record. Mexico, which went 3-1 in pool play, including an 11-5 win over the U.S., had already clinched the pool and a berth in the quarterfinals.

The United States was powered by none other than Mike Trout in Wednesday's win. The Los Angeles Angels slugger posted three hits in four at-bats, driving in all of the Stars and Stripes' three runs.

Trout knocked in the first run of the game on a ground ball to center field in the top of the third inning, which scored Mookie Betts from second base.

Colombia briefly took the lead with a two-run bottom of the third, but Trout helped the Americans get back on top for good with a line drive single to left field in the top of the fifth inning, driving in Betts and Will Smith.

This type of performance is typical of Trout, but his clutch hitting never fails to amaze baseball Twitter, which praised him for helping the United States advance:

With the Dominican Republic having been eliminated in pool action on Wednesday with a loss to Puerto Rico, the United States has a chance to capitalize on what is now considered a wide-open field with the tournament favorites out.

As the Pool C runner-up, the United States will face Venezuela in the quarterfinal round on Friday at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

Venezuela, which is led by Jose Altuve and Ronald Acuña Jr., will be a tough matchup for the Americans in the next round. The Venezuelans went 4-0 in Pool D action, defeating the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

The Dominican Republic was supposed to be one of the best teams at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but they won't get the chance to battle for a title after being eliminated in pool play on Wednesday.

Puerto Rico defeated the Dominican Republic 5-2 on Wednesday at loanDepot Park in Miami to improve to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Dominicans also fell to Venezuela, the Pool D winner, 5-1 on March 11. They beat Nicaragua 6-1 on Monday and Israel 10-0 on Tuesday before dropping Wednesday's game.

The Puerto Ricans were dominant from start to finish on Wednesday as Francisco Lindor (New York Mets), Enrique Hernández (Boston Red Sox), MJ Melendez (Kansas City Royals) and Christian Vázquez (Minnesota Twins) all drove in runs.

The highlight of the evening was Lindor's Little League home run that center fielder Julio Rodríguez misplayed in the top of the fifth inning to give Puerto Rico a 5-1 lead.

With the likes of Manny Machado (San Diego Padres), Wander Franco (Tampa Bay Rays), Sandy Alcantara (Miami Marlins), Rafael Devers (Boston Red Sox), Jeremy Peña (Houston Astros), Juan Soto (Padres) and Rodríguez (Seattle Mariners) on their roster, the Dominican Republic was expected to dominate this year's World Baseball Classic.

Instead, the Dominicans will head home wondering what could have been, and baseball Twitter was left stunned by the team's early exit:

Players from the Dominican Republic will now go back to Major League Baseball spring training with their respective clubs. It was a disappointing exit for such a great lineup, but many of these players will get another shot at winning a World Baseball Classic in another four years.

Puerto Rico, meanwhile, will play Mexico on Saturday in the quarterfinal round, with a spot in the semifinals on the line.