LOS ANGELES >> Dodger Stadium will host the championship game of the World Baseball Classic for the second time Wednesday. This time, the host country will have a chance to win the tournament on its own turf.
Team USA beat Japan, 2-1, on Tuesday night before an announced crowd of 33,462. Now an undefeated Puerto Rico squad, which beat the U.S. in San Diego last Friday, awaits.
Tied, 1-1, in the top of the eighth inning, Brandon Crawford singled and Ian Kinsler doubled against Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga to put runners on second and third. The next batter, Adam Jones, tapped a weak ground ball to third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda.