Puerto Rico ousts D.R., but closer E. Diaz injured
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Jeff PassanESPN
MIAMI — Puerto Rico ousted the favored Dominican Republic from the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night with a 5-2 victory in front of a raucous crowd of 36,025 at sold-out LoanDepot Park. But the celebratory mood proved short-lived.
While Puerto Rico advanced to the quarterfinals, they will likely continue in the tournament without Edwin Díaz, the All-Star closer for the New York Mets, who appeared to suffer an injury to his right leg while celebrating, leaving players in noticeable shock in the wake of what should have been a thrilling victory.
In a battle between two Latin American powerhouses, the team with the signature dyed-blonde hair prevailed, escaping the group-of-death Pool D and setting up a quarterfinal showdown Saturday night against Mexico, the winner of Pool C. After Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic lost to Pool D winner Venezuela earlier, a game that already had enormous emotional implications took on even greater meaning as a win-or-go-home affair.
With vuvuzelas tooting and flags flying and one man holstering a plantain in the waistband of his jeans, an homage to the plátano power that led the D.R. to the 2013 championship in a matchup between the teams, Puerto Rico exacted revenge. Gone, on the strength of a four-run third-inning burst from Puerto Rico, was a Dominican Republic team whose lineup included Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez, Manny Machado and Rafael Devers, along with a bullpen of devastating arms that made them the favorites to win the fifth edition of the tournament.
No matter to Puerto Rico. Led by manager Yadier Molina, the 10-time All-Star who in the last WBC in 2017 caught for the team that lost in the finals to the United States, Puerto Rico rode five consecutive hits to start the third and never looked back.
Christian Vazquez led off with a home run off D.R. starter Johnny Cueto. Vimael Machin slapped a single to left, Martin Maldonado dropped a bunt single, Francisco Lindor drove in Machin with a single to left and Enrique Hernández plated Maldonado with a Baltimore chop single over Machado’s head. An RBI groundout from MJ Melendez staked Puerto Rico a 4-0 advantage.
Soto cut into it with a titanic shot to start the bottom of the third off Jovani Moran, launching a 92 mph fastball 448 feel to dead center. Puerto Rico answered when Lindor singled up the middle in the fifth and Rodríguez misplayed the ball, which dribbled to the wall and allowed Lindor to book around the bases and extend the lead to 5-1.
The bottom of the fifth presented what wound up as the D.R.’s final opportunity. Against Alexis Díaz, they loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a single. With no outs and the bases loaded, Machado stepped in. One swing later, he grounded into a double play. Though a run scored, Díaz escaped the rest of the inning without harm, and Puerto Rico’s bullpen held firm until the ninth inning.
When the bullpen door swung open, out came Alexis’ brother, Edwin, the best closer in baseball — accompanied by “Narco,” the entrance music that typically accompanies him at Citi Field. Díaz proceeded to strike out Ketel Marte, Jean Segura and Teoscar Hernández.
But Diaz was soon seen on the ground near the pitcher’s mound, with teammates surrounding him, touching his right knee.
Diaz was helped off the field, then was placed on a wheelchair in foul territory, his right knee extended. He then saluted the fans as he was wheeled off the field.
All the Toronto Blue Jays had to do after losing an 18-inning epic in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series was bounce back quickly — and beat starting pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4.
Well, they did just that — and the Fall Classic is tied at 2-2. With the series sure to head back to Toronto, what will happen in the final game in L.A.? Game 5’s winner will be one victory from a ring; the loser will be one loss from heartbreak.
Follow all the action — from live analysis during the game to our postgame takeaways — right here.
Key links: World Series schedule, results
Live analysis
Gamecast: Follow the action pitch-by-pitch here
The Minnesota Twins are hiring former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton to be the team’s new manager, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Wednesday.
Shelton, who was fired on May 8 as the Pirates quickly slipped into last place in the National League Central, will replace Rocco Baldelli, who was fired by Minnesota on Sept. 29.
The 55-year-old Shelton was the bench coach for the Twins in 2018 and 2019 under two different managers, Paul Molitor and Baldelli.
New York Yankees hitting coach James Rowson, who held that role for the Twins under both Molitor and Baldelli before leaving to become bench coach of the Miami Marlins in 2020, was also one of the finalists. Former Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais and current Chicago Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty reportedly were in the mix, too.
The Twins are one of nine MLB teams who have changed managers this year.
Shelton was named manager of the Pirates in November 2019 as part of a franchise-wide reset by owner Bob Nutting. It was his first major league managing job after serving as a coach in various capacities in Tampa Bay, Toronto and Minnesota, and he went 306-440 in his five-plus seasons with Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh won less than 40% of its games in Shelton’s first three seasons before taking a step forward in 2023 when it won 76 games. Paul Skenes‘ arrival in 2024 gave the franchise another jolt, and the Pirates were in playoff contention until an August swoon. In 2025, the Pirates’ offense under Shelton languished near the bottom of the NL.
The Twins, who were expected to contend for the AL Central title this season, faltered in June and became active at the trade deadline, sending away 10 players while cutting $26 million from the payroll. The team went 23-43 after the All-Star break to finish fourth in the division with a 70-92 mark.
It was the fourth-worst record in the major leagues and their worst mark since 2016.
Attendance swooned at Target Field this season, with the Twins finishing with an 81-home game total of a little more than 1.7 million tickets sold, their lowest number in a non-pandemic season since 2000, when they played at the Metrodome and finished 69-93.
Fans mostly have directed their disdain toward ownership, with deep frustration over cost cutting that came after the 2023 breakthrough Baldelli led with the end of a record 18-game postseason losing streak and the club’s first win of a playoff series in 21 years.
Executive chair Joe Pohlad and his family members put the franchise up for sale in 2024, but decided in August to keep control and bring on two new investment groups for an infusion of cash to help pay down debt.
The New York Post first reported news on Shelton’s hiring by the Twins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Jesse Rogers
LOS ANGELES — Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer won’t start Game 5 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, but Toronto manager John Schneider indicated Springer could be available off the bench.
Springer, who also missed Game 4 after leaving Game 3 early with right side discomfort, did some hitting in the batting cage and some running Wednesday.
“George is feeling better,” Schneider said Wednesday afternoon. “I think better than he expected to feel, better than we expected him to feel, which is saying a lot.”
Bo Bichette will serve as the team’s DH in place of Springer in Game 5 while Isiah Kiner-Falefa will start at second base.
The 36-year-old Springer left Monday’s contest after taking an awkward swing in the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ eventual 18-inning victory. He is 3-for-11 with two runs scored in the World Series, which is tied 2-2.
He has been a key member of the Blue Jays’ postseason run but is likely to watch at least one more game before the Series takes a day off Thursday. With the extra time to heal, it means Springer could be ready for Friday’s Game 6 in Toronto.
“He’s had an unbelievable year, and I think that he has done a phenomenal job of kind of setting the tone for us, not just at the plate but in the clubhouse and keeping tabs on guys,” Schneider said. “It’s been fun to watch him. It’s been really fun after a tough year last year for him and us.”
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