Fernando Tatis hit a grand slam and drove in six runs, and the Dominican Republic clinched a spot in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals with a 10-1 win over Israel on Monday in Miami.
Tatis homered in the second inning on a 78.5 mph changeup off Ryan Prager, standing at home plate and admiring his no-doubt drive over the left-field wall, then added a two-run single in the seventh. Geraldo Perdomo had put the Dominicans ahead with a bases-loaded walk.
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Tatis’ six RBIs tied Adrian González in 2009 for second-most in a WBC game, one behind Ken Griffey Jr.’s record in 2006.
The Dominicans (3-0) lead Group D over Venezuela (2-0), which also clinched a quarterfinal berth due to the Dominicans' win.
Venezuela played Nicaragua (0-3) later Monday and the winner of Tuesday's Venezuela-Dominican Republic game will play South Korea in a quarterfinal in Miami on Friday, The loser will face Shohei Ohtani and Japan at Miami on Saturday.
Oneil Cruz added a solo homer in the fourth off Zack Weiss, a 115.9 mph drive.
Spencer Horwitz drove in Israel’s run with a fourth-inning homer against winner Bryan Bello, the only hit allowed in five innings by Bello, who struck out seven and walked none.
Horwitz and Noah Mendlinger, the top two hitters in the order for Israel (1-2), went a combined 2 for 7, while the rest of the order went 0 for 22.
South Korea joins Japan in quarterfinals, advances with 7-2 win over Australia
South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals, moving past the first round for the first time since 2009 by beating Australia 7-2 at the Tokyo Dome behind four RBIs from Bo Gyeong Moon, who leads the tournament with 11.
The South Koreans (2-2) finished second in Group C behind Japan and Shohei Ohtani, and they will next play on Friday. South Korea, Australia and Taiwan all had identical records, and South Korea needed to beat Australia by five runs or more to advance based on a tiebreaker of fewest runs allowed divided by defensive outs.
Australia would have advanced with a win or a loss by four runs or fewer.
Hyun Min Ahn hit a decisive sacrifice fly in the ninth that scored Hae-Min Park standing up. Do Yeong Kim walked against Jack O’Loughlin leading off and Park, a pinch runner, reached third when Jung Hoo Lee's grounder off O’Loughlin's glove went to shortstop Jarryd Dale, whose throw to second bounced into short right field for an error.
With Australia needing one run to advance, Chris Burke walked with one out in the bottom half and Lee robbed Rixon Wingrove of an extra-base hit with a sliding, backhand catch in the right-center gap. Pinch-hitter Logan Wade followed with a game-ending popout to Moon, and the first baseman threw his glove high in celebration.
Winner Ju Young Son pitched a scoreless first. Loser Lachlan Wells allowed two runs, two hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Moon had three hits, including a second-inning homer off Wells, and is batting .538 (7 for 13). Lee and Moon had RBI doubles in the third, and Moon added a run-scoring single for a 5-0 lead in the fifth.
Robbie Glendinning homered in the bottom half but Do Yeong Kim's RBI single boosted the lead to 6-1 in the sixth. Top prospect Travis Bazzana hit a run-scoring single in the eighth.
Japan (3-0) closes group play on Tuesday against the Czech Republic (0-3).
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