Dutch add Jansen for championship round
After an exhilarating weekend of action, the World Baseball Classic field has been whittled down to four nations. So will Puerto Rico or the Netherlands remain alive at the end of the evening?
The two clubs invade the West Coast for the tournament’s first semifinal, with a 9 p.m. ET first pitch at Dodger Stadium. Online sports book Bovada.lv lists Edwin Rodriguez’s group as a 1.5-run favorite, whereas the Dutch enter the festivities as +135 underdogs. The over/under run total rests at 9.5.
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Puerto Rico swept its competition in Jalisco, Mexico, and San Diego, notching wins over Venezuela, Mexico, Italy, the Dominican Republic and the United States. Veteran catcher Yadier Molina continues to dominate in all facets of the game, hitting .353 across 17 plate appearances and gunning down potential base thieves with regularity. The seemingly ageless Carlos Beltran is raking at a .471 clip, too, while Carlos Correa boasts two homers in 16 at-bats.
On the other side, the Netherlands went 4-2 in Seoul, South Korea, and Tokyo against Korea, Chinese Taipei, Israel, Japan and Cuba. There’s also more help on the way for skipper Hensley Meulens. All-Star closer Kenley Jansen said last Wednesday he’ll join the squad in time for tonight’s showdown. The 29-year-old posted a 1.83 ERA and 0.67 WHIP with 47 saves in 71 outings for the Dodgers in 2016.
Whether the Netherlands’ lumber can stake Jansen to a lead, however, represents a legitimate question. Puerto Rico, in many respects, just feels like a team of destiny. Bank on Molina & Co. advancing to the championship tilt later in the week.
MONDAY WBC PICK: PUERTO RICO -1.5