FINALLY

U.S. Makes Its First World Baseball Championship Final

After beating Japan 2-1 Tuesday night.

The U.S. has earned its first trip to a World Baseball Classic championship game after beating Japan 2-1 on Tuesday night. Team USA will face Puerto Rico on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium in a winner-take-all final. The U.S., in three previous tournaments, had once advanced to the semifinals but never made it further. On Tuesday, however, Japan’s team made a few defensive mistakes and Team USA pounced. Andrew McCutchen, who drove in an early run for the U.S. on Tuesday, said the win “means a heckuva lot.” He added, “We have a great group of guys on this team who have dedicated this time to be able to try and win some ballgames. A sacrifice had to be made. There are no egos when that door opens, and that is what is good about this team.”