'5G 40 points explosion' Italy's miracle, defeating the U.S. → Puerto Rico also caught! For the first time ever, they made it to the semifinals [WBC Economic Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Italy, which was called the "baseball periphery" of baseball, secured the "top four" at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), where all the world's best players participated. It's the first time in Italian baseball history.

Italy beat Puerto Rico 8-6 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 WBC at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas on the 15th (Korea Standard Time).

This is the biggest upset in this tournament. Italy, which even the U.S. was put to rest and passed first in the group stage, confirmed its advance to the semifinals by catching even powerhouse Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals. They will compete with the winner of the Japan-Venezuela match, which will be held from 10 a.m. on the 17th to advance to the finals.

He has steadily advanced to the WBC since the first tournament in 2006, but his best performance was in the quarterfinals in 2023. At that time, they were defeated 3-9 by Japan.

However, it has completely changed in this tournament. Until they caught Brazil (8-0) and England (7-4), they did not expect such a turmoil, but they defeated the U.S. 8-6 and advanced to the quarterfinals as No. 1 in the group, overwhelming Mexico (9-1). Italy is also the first European country to pass the group stage.

In Italy, where soccer is much more famous and popular than baseball, there are no decent professional leagues such as Korea, the United States, and Japan. This is also why Italian baseball was difficult to revive.

However, as the number of players entering the Major League increased, they began to change gradually, and in this tournament, they transformed into the main characters of the biggest unexpected event.

If Italian soccer dominated world soccer with a tight defense represented by a "brace guard," baseball is the opposite. He is overwhelming his opponent with his powerful firepower.

Italy, which hit 12 home runs in the group league and fired the most cannons after the Dominican Republic (13), pushed Puerto Rico from the beginning, unexpectedly, with its dynamite lineup.

He started by giving up one run in the top of the first inning, but immediately hit back at the bottom of the first inning. With one out and runners on the first and second bases, captain Vinny Pasquantino (Kansas City Royals) hit a timely hit, and later added consecutive timely hits by Dominique Canzon (Seattle Mariners) and Jack Caglianone (Kansas City) and a sacrifice fly by J.J. Doragio (LA Angels) to turn the flow around 4-1.

Puerto Rico scored another run in the second inning, but the mound blocked the inning without additional runs, and the Italian batting line-up started to drive once again in the fourth inning. Andrew Fisher of the Milwaukee Brewers and Doracio hit a two-run double side by side, breaking Puerto Rico's willingness to chase 8-2.

But I couldn't let my guard down. It was similar to the game against the U.S. in the group league. Matt Festa (Claveland Guardians), who took the mound in the top of the eighth inning when the victory seemed to be in sight, handed the ball over to Joe Lasosa (Pittsburgh Pirates) after causing a full base crisis with no outs and consecutive walks, but he gave up one point and then allowed Brian Torres (St. Louis Cardinals) to hit him and then threw wild pitches, giving up one more point. Christian Vazquez (Minnesota Twins) hit a two-run timely hit.

Greg Weissert (Boston Red Sox), who took the mound at the moment of crisis, took the mound and finished the inning without additional runs and led Italy to victory by taking responsibility until the ninth inning.

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*This content was translated by AI.