After 39 games in 16 days spread across six different cities, the 2017 World Baseball Classic concludes Wednesday night with a title game ensured to produce a first-time champion. The United States will battle Puerto Rico in the WBC championship game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
USA vs. Puerto Rico live stream: Start time, TV schedule, and how to watch WBC 2017 final online
Wednesday will produce a first-time WBC champion
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The championship game will be televised by MLB Network at 9 p.m. ET, with Matt Vasgersian, John Smoltz and Jon Morosi on the call. Online streaming is available through MLB Network, with television provider authentication required.
This is the farthest Team USA has ever advanced in the WBC, in the title game by virtue of beating Japan 2-1 in Tuesday night’s semifinal. That was Japan’s only loss of this tournament. That win came three days after the United States beat the defending WBC champion Dominican Republic in San Diego.
Now all the U.S. has to do to win its first world Baseball Classic championship is to complete the gauntlet and beat the other undefeated team.
Puerto Rico came close to winning the 2013 World Baseball Classic, falling in the title game to the Dominican Republic, who finished that tournament at 8-0. Now, Puerto Rico (7-0) is trying to become the second team to complete a WBC undefeated.
“From defeat we learned, but we learned more from the great success we had in 2013,” Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said Monday. “We have the talent, we have the staff, and we were able to execute the game and the plays as they should be executed. Then they were able to reach far, and that was what we learned the best.”
It took 11 innings on Monday night for Puerto Rico to outlast the Netherlands in the first WBC semifinal, a 4-3 thriller that was full of exciting moments throughout the game.
These two teams met once already during this tournament, with Puerto Rico beating the United States 6-5 last Friday in a second-round matchup at Petco Park in San Diego.
Marcus Stroman starts the championship game for Team USA on Wednesday, opposed on the mound by Seth Lugo for Puerto Rico.
ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will televise the title game in Spanish, which will also be streamed online at WatchESPN.
USA vs. Puerto Rico info
When: 9 p.m. ET
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
What: World Baseball Classic championship
TV: MLB Network; ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes (Spanish)
Online: MLB Network, MLB.tv (subscription), WatchESPN (Spanish)
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