Team Italy crashed the party on Tuesday when it stunned the United States. It made itself comfortable after thumping Mexico on Wednesday. And now Francisco Cervelli and company have every intention of making the World Baseball Classic their own after earning an 8-6 quarterfinals victory over Puerto Rico on Saturday. The Azzurri are just one win away from contending for the championship.
David needed a slingshot to vanquish Goliath. Italy is pummeling the baseball giants with some heavy lumber, using a highly capable offense to pounce on pitchers early. Following a lead-off Willi Castro home run, Vinnie Pasquantino erased Puerto Rico's momentum by hitting a game-tying RBI single off Kansas City Royals teammate Seth Lugo. Dominic Canzone and Jac Caglianone notched base-hits of their own, and catcher J.J. D'Orazio recorded a sacrifice fly to give the team a 4-1 lead.
Lugo, the 2024 American League Cy Young runner-up, was pulled from the game after getting just one out. The punishment did not stop. Italy smashed a pair of two-run doubles in the fourth inning, one of which came off D'Orazio's bat. Puerto Rico surged in the eighth, but closer Greg Weissert stayed in clutch mode and thwarted the comeback effort. A captivating underdog tale is being penned in Houston, Texas.
While it is true that Italy boasts an MLB-heavy roster that contains former All-Stars and possibly future ones, this group was not supposed to be undefeated through five games. Heck, it was not even supposed to play a fifth game. The World Baseball Classic does not necessarily guarantee future opportunities, but Cervelli is making a compelling case for a potential MLB managerial job.
Regardless of what happens next, this team has accomplished a great deal in this international competition. Even though most of these players are not full-blooded Italian, they are still proudly representing the Green, White and Red. According to Francisco Cervelli, the country is expressing an unprecedented amount of enthusiasm for baseball amid this stellar run.
Excitement will reach thunderous levels if Italy can clinch a spot in the final. It will face either Japan or Venezuela for that honor on Monday night.
