MIAMI — New York Mets star Edwin Díaz injured his right knee while celebrating a win Wednesday night that advanced Puerto Rico and eliminated the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
Díaz was pulled off the field in a wheelchair just after his perfect ninth inning in Miami to end Puerto Rico’s 5-2 win over the Dominicans.
The Mets later tweeted that Díaz had injured his knee and would have further tests Thursday.
The Puerto Rican players jumped together in infield as Díaz fell to the ground and quickly grabbed his right leg. Díaz was in tears and did not put weight on the leg.
Díaz’s brother, Alexis Díaz, pitcher from Cincinnati, also cried as Edwin was taken away. Met’s teammate and Puerto Rico shortstop Francisco Lindor stood nearby with his hands on his head.
Christian Vázquez hit a homer in a third inning with four runs as Puerto Rico advanced to the WBC Quarterfinals to meet the Pool C winner in Miami on Saturday.
It’s only the second time the Dominican Republic has failed to advance through the first round (2009).
After Vázquez’s solo homer from starter Johnny Cueto, Vimael Machin, Martin Maldonado, Francisco Lindor and Kiké Hernandez scored four straight singles to make it 3-0. MJ Melendez then bet on a play that allowed Lindor to score.
Cueto took the loss and was raised before the end of the third after allowing four hits, three runs and two hits.
Juan Soto made it 4-1 when he hit deep midfield — 448 feet — for his second home run of the tournament ahead of Puerto Rico release Jovani Moran.
Soto finished the tournament 6vforv15 with three doubles and three RBIs.
Puerto Rico ended a dominant round of pool in which it defeated Israel in a perfect 10-0 win on Monday night.
CUBA 4, AUSTRALIA 3
TOKYO — Cuba has earned a 7,500-mile flight to Miami for the first time since 2006 to travel to the WBC semifinals.
Alfredo Despaigne hit a tie victim fly and Yoelkis Guibert followed with a two-run single in the fifth inning with three runs.
Cuba will play the winner of a quarter-final between Venezuela and the second-placed team in Group C: Canada, Colombia, Mexico or the USA at Marlins Park on Sunday
Former Philadelphia Phillies youngster Rixon Wingrove, who led Australia with seven RBIs in the tournament, hit a starting shot in the second RBI straight and had a two-run homer in the sixth ahead of the Chicago Cubs’ Roenis Elías. Australia later got two in the sixth round before Milwaukee Brewers’ Elías Alex Hall retired on a flyout.
Elías threw a perfect seventh, Liván Moinelo avoided two walks in a shotless eighth by defeating Ulrich Bojarski and knocking out Tim Kennelly in a flyout late in the inning. Raidel Martinez threw a 1-2-3 ninth for defense and beat Darryl George on the eighth throw of the at-bat for the final.
In front of a crowd of 35,061 at the Tokyo Dome, Luis Robert equalized for Cuba with a run-scoring groundout in third place.
Cuba, who lost the 2006 final to Japan, was eliminated in the second round of the last three WBCs. The Cubans won their third straight game in this tournament after losing their first two.
Australia have progressed beyond the group stage for the first time.
Yoán Moncada of the Chicago White Sox had two hits and two walks and hits .421 with five RBIs. Moncada sparked the third with a one-out double against Mitch Neunborn, who had put Roel Santos ahead.
Winner Miguel Romero, the second of five Cuban pitchers, allowed a hit in 1 2/3 innings scoreless.
Former major league player Yoenis Céspedes left the team before the game for undisclosed personal reasons, the Cuban Baseball Federation said.
MEXICO 10, CANADA 3
PHOENIX — Randy Arozarena had two doubles and five RBIs, Rowdy Tellez added a single and solo homer in two runs, and Mexico pulled out late from Canada to secure a quarterfinal berth.
Mexico started the tournament with a surprise loss to Colombia in Group C at Chase Field but managed to bounce back with three straight wins, beating the USA, Great Britain and Canada.
José Urquidy gave up two runs over four innings and knocked out five to earn the win. Arozarena — the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year for the Tampa Bay Rays — hit a clearing double in game six, opening the game and giving Mexico a 6-2 lead.
Canadian leadoff batsman Edouard Julien had two hits and an RBI and catcher Bo Naylor hit a solo homer. Rob Zastryzny accepted the loss after giving up three runs over two innings.
Canada played without Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who left Tuesday’s game with a hamstring injury.
VENEZUELA 5, ISRAEL 1
MIAMI — Eugenio Suárez hit a homer, netted twice and had three RBIs, and starter Jesús Luzardo hit five in four scoreless innings to lead Venezuela, who had already claimed the Group D title and a quarterfinal berth.
Ronald Acuña Jr. had two singles while Eduardo Escobar also went deep for Venezuela who finished with 10 goals.
Venezuela took a three-run lead in the first game against Robert Stock. Acuña broke out of a 1-for-11 sled early in the tournament with an RBI single, and Suárez hit a two-run single.
Escobar’s solo shot in the fourth made it 4-0 and Suárez scored with a leadoff drive in the sixth.
Jakob Goldfarb’s RBI single in seventh placed Israel to a scoreless 22-inning streak.
Alongside Japan, Venezuela is the only group winner to go unbeaten.
Israel finished the 2017 tournament 1-3 after reaching the second round.
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