Wright's walk-off hit sends U.S. to semifinals

Mar 18, 2009 - 6:37 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- David Wright capped a ninth-inning comeback and led the United States into the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic with a two-run single that clinched a 6-5 victory over Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

Kevin Youkilis hit a solo home run and drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth for the United States, which avenged an embarrassing 11-1 loss to the Puerto Ricans on Saturday.

The U.S. will face Venezuela on Wednesday to determine seeding for the semifinals.

Trailing, 5-3, entering the last of the ninth inning, the Americans got a leadoff single from Shane Victorino off his Philadelphia Phillies teammates, J.C. Romero. Brian Roberts followed with a single to left and Victorino moved to third when Derek Jeter flied out to right.

Facing another of his Philadelphia teammates, Romero walked Jimmy Rollins to load the bases.

Fernando Cabrera came in to replace Romero and fared no better with his control, walking Youkilis to force in a run.

Wright came up next and worked the count to 2-1 before taking a fastball around his ankles and serving down the right field line, plating Roberts and Rollins to give the U.S. the win.

Carlos Delgado hit a two-run homer and Alex Rios added a solo shot for Puerto Rico, which is eliminated from the competition.

The U.S. did not reach the semifinals in the inaugural 2006 tournament, bowing out in the second round despite fielding a team of All-Stars.

KOREA 4, JAPAN 1

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SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Jin Young Lee stroked a two-run single and Hyn-Soo Kim added an RBI in the first inning as Korea booked a spot in the World Baseball Classic semifinals with a 4-1 victory over Japan in Pool 1 play on Tuesday.

The trio of runs in the bottom of the opening frame was all Korea needed to book its place in the final four as starter Jung Keun Bong, Suk-Min Yoon, Kwang-Hyun Kim and Chang Yong Lim made the limited offense stand up.

Bong (1-0) allowed Japan's only run on a groundout by Ichiro Suzuki in the fifth. The lefthander surrendered three hits and three walks while striking out one in 5 1/3 innings.

Yoon relieved Bong and held the defending champions to three hits while striking out two in 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Kim struck out Michihiro Ogasawara to end the eighth and recorded the first out of the ninth before giving way to Lim, who slammed the door to preserve the victory for Korea (2-0).

Starter Yu Darvish (0-1) yielded three runs, two earned, and four hits while walking one and striking out seven in five innings for Japan (1-1), which will face Cuba (1-1) in an elimination game on Wednesday.