Mets’ Herrera Lifts Colombia; Mexico Wins

SEE ALSO: Rosters for Mexicali, Panama City Qualifiers

Qualifier No. 3:  Panama City, Panama
Teams: Spain, France, Panama, Colombia
Schedule:
March 17 (All Times EST)
Colombia 9, Spain 2
Panama 9, France 2
March 18
France 5, Spain 3
Colombia 6, Panama 3
March 19
Panama 7, France 4
March 20
Colombia 2, Panama 1

Colombia 2, Panama 1

Mets second baseman Dilson Herrera hit a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth to lift Colombia to the win over host Panama and give the country its first bid to the World Baseball Classic, which will next be played in 2017.

Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz was involved in the only run for Panama in his fourth appearance in a WBC tournament. Ruiz doubled in the fourth and scored on a single by Carlos Quiroz.

Colombia—which was the home team Sunday although Panama was the host of the event—tied it in the sixth on a single by Nationals farmhand Adrian Sanchez that scored the Twins’ Reynaldo Rodriguez.

Giants lefthander Carlos Diaz got the first out in the ninth for Colombia and Horacio Acosta closed out the victory.

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MEXICALI QUALIFIER

Qualifier No. 2:  Mexicali, Mexico
Teams: Czech Republic, Germany, Mexico, Nicaragua
Schedule:
March 17 (All Times EST)
Nicaragua 5, Germany 4, 10 innings
Mexico 2, Czech Republic 1
March 18
Czech Republic 15, Germany 3
Mexico 11, Nicaragua 0
March 19
Nicaragua 7, Czech Republic 6, 11 innings
March 20
Mexico 12, Nicaragua 1

Mexico 12, Nicaragua 1

Mexico—with 16 players in affiliated ball on its roster—was expected to bully its way through the Mexicali qualifier and it did just that.

The host club clinched a return to the World Baseball Classic in 2017 by routing Nicaragua. The Mexicans outscored their three opponents 25-2.

Dodgers star Adrian Gonzalez was 2-for-6 in the three games with six walks, two of them intentional.

“We’re having fun and enjoying every moment,” Gonzalez told reporters, “but not losing sight of the fact that we’re here to win games and represent Mexico the way it needs to be represented.”

As it did in previous games, Mexico took advantage of an opponents’ wildness as Nicaraguan starter Fidencio Flores walked three in just 1 2/3 innings as his team fell behind 3-0. Lefthander Carlos Teller replaced Flores with the bases loaded and gave up a three-run double to Carlos Teller as Mexico grabbed a 6-0 lead.

The game was called after seven innings per the WBC’s run-separation rules.

Orioles lefthander Hector Daniel Rodriguez struck out three over 2 2/3 innings before reaching a club-imposed pitch limit of 53. Nationals lefthander Oliver Perez got the game’s final out.

The next WBC qualifier will be at Brooklyn’s MCU Park from Sept. 22-25 as Pakistan, Brazil, Great Britain and Israel face off to reach the WBC next spring.