Puerto Rico win thriller with Korea, head to World Championship Final

World No. 10 Puerto Rico beat No. 6 Korea 3-1 on Friday and advanced to the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024 Final.

The two starting pitchers, Agnel Miranda and Kiho Park, dominated the first four innings. Miranda would eventually earn the win, tossing six impressive innings. Park got the lead on a squeeze play, but surrendered it on a three-run homer by Jankel Ortiz.

Right-hander Agnel Miranda used 39 pitches, 27 for strikes, to get through the fourth. He allowed only a one-out single to Anseok Jeong in the bottom of the second. Korea's submarine righty Kiho Park walked leadoff hitter Edgardo Villegas and then retired 11 batters in a row before allowing Luis Gonzalez the first Puerto Rican hit of the night. He used 51 pitches, 32 for strike.

Miranda hit Doohyun Kim with one out in the top of the fifth. Pinch hitter Sangwoo Lim took over at first and advanced in scoring position when Miranda walked Hojung Song on five pitches.

After a coach visit and with an 0-1 count on second baseman Daein Hong, the second pitch went beyond catcher Luis Hernandez, and the runners advanced to third and second. Hong perfectly executed a squeeze bunt on the following pitch, putting Korea ahead.

Hernandez led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to left field. Right fielder Gilberto Torres failed to bunt Hernandez to third and then walked on six pitches.

Second baseman Jankel Ortiz fouled two bunt attempts. He then worked the at-bat to a full count and drove the sixth offering by Park beyond the left field wall for a three-run homer, giving Puerto Rico a 3-1 lead.

Korea called Wonpyo Hong from the bullpen. The right-hander allowed back-to-back singles to Harold Laracuente and Villegas and hit Randal Diaz. Daniel Figueroa pinch run for Laracuente.

Hong got out of the jam retiring Edrick Felix on a pop fly and gettingLuis Gonzalez to ground into a double play.

Miranda hit Siang Kim with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. He allowed him to second with a wild pitch. He got out of the innings on strikes.

Alejandro Gonzalez worked a perfect bottom of the seventh, saving Miranda's win and leading Puerto Rico to the World Championship Final.

Puerto Rico (4-0) will play for the U-23 World Title on Sunday, September 15. They will finish the Super Round facing No. 5 Venezuela at 14:30 on Saturday, September 14. Korea (1-3) will face No. 1 Japan with a possibility to advance to the bronze-medal game.