World Baseball Classic 2017: USA. vs. Puerto Rico score, highlights, and news

Marcus Stroman is the 2017 World Baseball Classic MVP, joining previous winners Daisuke Matsuzaka (2006, 2009) and Robinson Cano (2013).

Stroman pitched 15⅓ innings in the tournament, allowing four runs and 12 hits. He finished with 6 IP in the championship game, giving up just one single and a walk.

If you don’t like the decision to give Stroman the award, bring it up with his dad.

(I like it very much. Thank you.)

12:47 a.m. EDT — Congratulations to the United States, winners of the 2017 World Baseball Classic! David Robertson closed the game out in the ninth, and the dog pile was filled with baseball joy and baseball feelings.

It’s worth mentioning that this was Puerto Rico’s first loss of the tournament, which is messed up. There probably isn’t a better way to do this, but it’s still a brutal quirk.

12:12 a.m. EDT — It’s 8-0 now. There was, uh, a walk or a single or something, and then there was another thing, and then Andrew McCutchen grounded up the middle to Javier Baez, who threw the ball wide of first base for an error. I think. I was working on something else.

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(Just waiting for the celebration, to be honest.)

11:56 p.m. EDT — The no-hitter watch is over, and it’s probably because of something you did. Angel Pagan led the bottom of the 7th off with a double, slashing a ball down the left-field line.

Following the hit, manager Jim Leyland immediately pulled Stroman, who left the field to a standing ovation. This is your regular reminder that baseball is better with at least a couple of short dudes at all times.

11:47 p.m. EDT — Giancarlo Stanton adds to the lead, making it 7-0 on a single through the left side. Stanton base hits are strangely deflating, but the United States will take it.

11:43 p.m. EDT — And that should pretty much do it. Brandon Crawford ripped a two-out, two-strike single with the bases loaded, giving the U.S. a 6-0 lead.

On the one hand, I feel bad for veteran J.C. Romero, who’s 40 and hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2012. On the other hand, USA chants are super catchy.

Assuming there isn’t a rousing comeback, the only drama remaining is if Puerto Rico can get a hit.

11:16 p.m. EDT — José Berríos threw a slider that broke two feet.

No, really. It broke nearly two feet.

Meanwhile, Marcus Stroman is through six innings without allowing a hit. It’s time to have one eye on the game and one eye on his pitch count. He’s at 68 pitches through six innings, and the pitch-count limit for the championship round of the WBC is 95.

If he’s pulled early, crack an egg and cook it on the takes.

11:07 p.m. EDT — Marcus Stroman is pitching a whopper of a game, holding Puerto Rico scoreless through five innings. Keep tuned for updates!

He hasn’t allowed a hit. He’s throwing a no-hitter. Turn on your television.

Yep, just a great outing by Stroman. He’s looking to be an ace for a Blue Jays team that needs one, but he’s busy being an ace for the United States, first.

Literally no hits. This is amazing. He needs to retire 12 more batters without allowing a hit. He can do this. Shhhhhhhhhh.

In the fifth inning, Brandon Crawford fielded three straight grounders of moderate to substantial difficulty, and he made it look easy. But the important part is that Marcus Stroman is throwing a no-hitter.

End blog post, hit publish.

10:56 p.m. EDT — An infield single from Andrew McCutchen has the U.S. up 4-0 in the fifth inning, but it’s almost more important that Francisco Lindor made the play close.

It’s hard to describe without moving images, but trust me: It shouldn’t have been close. It was a diving sprawl that finished with a pop-up throw to first, and it was just about the most ridiculous play of the WBC, including Adam Jones’ catch.

Edit: It looked like this:

10:49 p.m. EDT — The U.S. is up 3-0 now after an RBI single to right field from Christian Yelich, with Ian Kinsler beating the throw home easily.

The United States is just five innings away from a WBC championship!

Is it jinxy to point out they have a Giants reliever in the bullpen? Or was the five-innings mention jinxy already? I’ll shut up now.

10:42 p.m. EDT — Apparently, Marcus Stroman is rather giffable tonight:

10:35 p.m. EDT — We have a WBC proposal!

One day I hope to love anything as much as this guy must love baseball to propose at the WBC.

10:23 p.m. EDT — We have moving images of the home run!

Meanwhile, Marcus Stroman is through three extremely quiet innings, facing the minimum number of batters.

10:04 p.m. EDT — Ian Kinsler opens up the scoring, pounding a two-run homer to left-center and putting the United States up, 2-0.

And, yes, he pointed at the dugout and crowd as he rounded the bases, but it was probably to say, “Shhhh, calm yourself, friends.”

(It was a very nice swing and a gorgeous home run. There were U-S-A chants.)

9:43 p.m. EDT — Meanwhile, in HELL:

Seriously, though, how big are those things? Match them up with yellow-wig man. I know the perspective isn’t going to be the easiest to judge, but my stars. Where do you even find masks like that?

Well, I’m out of ideas.

9:35 p.m. EDT — Marcus Stroman gets through the bottom of the first with three quick groundball outs. SB Nation’s legal team has told me to mention this one last time:

9:27 p.m. EDT — After a seeing-eye double from Christian Yelich, the top of the first ends on a Nolan Arenado strikeout. The sample-size goblins have attached his underwear to a flagpole, and they’re hoisting him up high.

9:21 p.m. EDT — Ian Kinsler grounded out to third on the first pitch of the ballgame. He stoically went back to the dugout, where he folded his bat into a tiny square and ate it, piece by piece, without making a single noise. Pay attention out there, kids.

9:10 p.m. EDT — I’ll let you decide which look works best:

9:00 p.m. EDT — The lineups for your 2017 World Baseball Classic final, between Team USA and Team Puerto Rico:

Giancarlo Stanton is hitting seventh. That’s a good sign that a) your manager is on mescaline, b) Stanton is in a slump, or c) the lineup is stacked. Or all three! We don’t know what Jim Leyland’s up to these days.