Team Italy Hangs On To Beat Puerto Rico To Advance To Semifinals Of 2026 World Baseball Classic

Daikin Park sounded like San Juan on Saturday afternoon. The crowd was loud, the energy was electric, and Puerto Rico felt like the home team. Then Italy decided it had heard enough.

In a game that had everything, a leadoff homer, a four-run first inning, a bizarre non-strikeout that changed the game, and a late Puerto Rico scare that had Italian hearts pounding, the Italians survived an 8-6 thriller to reach the World Baseball Classic semifinals for the first time in history. Italy is now 5-0. Unbeaten. Unbothered. And absolutely unbelievable.

Italy Spotted Puerto Rico the First Run, Then Took Everything Back

Willi Castro set the tone fast. On just Sam Aldegheri’s fourth pitch of the game, Castro sent a 381-foot blast into the left-center Crawford Boxes for a leadoff homer. The crowd erupted. Puerto Rico had the momentum. The vibes were immaculate.

They lasted about three minutes. Seth Lugo took the mound in the bottom of the first, looking to build on the early lead. Instead, he walked the first batter, watched a strikeout, issued another walk, and then gave up three consecutive RBI singles — to Vinnie Pasquantino, Dominic Canzone, and Jac Caglianone. Before anyone had a chance to finish their hot dog, Italy was up 3-1. J.J. D’Orazio tacked on a sacrifice fly off Jovani Morán to make it 4-1 before the inning was over.

Lugo recorded exactly one out. Not his finest evening.

The Fourth Inning Changed Everything For Italy

The game was close enough heading into the fourth. Puerto Rico had trimmed the gap to 4-2, and the crowd was still very much alive. Then came the at-bat that flipped the entire script.

Pasquantino worked a lengthy plate appearance against Eduardo Rivera. The pitch that should have ended the at-bat missed badly and skipped away for a ball. The inning kept going.

Worth noting: Major League Baseball has the automated ball-strike challenge system. The World Baseball Classic does not. Sometimes the old way bites back.

Pasquantino drew the walk, immediately stole second, and Italy loaded the bases. Andrew Fischer then hit a ball toward the right-field fence that a fan reached over to catch, earning Fischer a ground-rule double on fan interference. Two runs scored. D’Orazio followed with another two-run ground-rule double.

What should have been the third out of the inning turned into a 6-run explosion. Italy led 8-2. The crowd got very quiet.

Dylan DeLucia Quietly Kept Italy Afloat

While the offense was doing its thing, Dylan DeLucia was putting in some of the most unnoticed quality work of the tournament. The righty entered in the third inning and proceeded to throw four scoreless frames, allowing just two hits, striking out three, and making Puerto Rico’s hitters look thoroughly uncomfortable.

Puerto Rico Made It Interesting

Give Puerto Rico credit. They didn’t quit. The eighth inning turned into a genuine nail-biter. Carlos Cortes singled. Emmanuel Rivera and Heliot Ramos worked walks. Eddie Rosario drove in a run on a forceout. A wild pitch let another one score. Christian Vázquez then lined a two-run single to right, and suddenly it was 8-6 with runners on base and the crowd making noise again.

Red Sox Reliever Greg Weissert came in and slammed the door shut. He struck out Castro, got through the eighth, and then handled the ninth without drama. Nolan Arenado hit a deep fly to right in the eighth that had a few Italians holding their breath before settling into Caglianone’s glove. Another 30 feet, and this game ends differently. It didn’t.

Weissert finished with a five-out save, two strikeouts, and his third save of the WBC. The man has five career saves in parts of four big-league seasons. He now has three in one tournament.

What Italy’s WBC Run Actually Means

After the final out, Pasquantino said it best. “You know the name Pasquantino, right? You know what it is. My grandfather — I’m sure he’s watching right now. The Pasquantinos back in Italy are watching, probably. Family back in New York watching. This is why you do it. You represent your family.”

That’s what Italy is doing out here. These aren’t just baseball players chasing a trophy. They’re sons, grandsons, and cousins carrying something a lot heavier than a bat. And right now, they’re carrying it all the way to Miami.

Italy faces the winner of Japan vs. Venezuela in the semifinals on March 16 at LoanDepot Park. The WBC championship follows on March 17. Five wins. Zero losses. One very good story.