SAN JUAN -- Colombia and Panama met for their final game of Pool A World Baseball Classic action in San Juan on Monday – both desperately needing to win. But for five innings, neither could scratch a run across to get on that ultimate path to victory.
Then, in a four-run sixth inning, the Colombians took control of the game and ultimately beat Panama, 4-3, at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. In doing so, the Colombians avoided a winless Classic and eliminated Panama from contention in the process.
“For me it's an honor to coach them, and we as a team, we're a family,” Colombia manager Jose Mosquera said. “We wanted to get more, of course, but I think that we take with us a lot of learning and reflection to be a better country as a league and Federation.”
Colombia’s lineup struggled through the first three games of pool play, scoring a total of six runs while going just 2-for-28 with runners in scoring position. To start, Monday’s game unfolded similarly with Colombia lefty Adrian Almeida and Panama’s 39-year-old WBC lifer Paolo Espino trading zeroes.
It was a particularly impactful performance from Espino, who pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts in his final professional appearance. Espino, who pitched for Panama in the 2006 WBC as a 19-year-old, announced earlier this week that he is retiring from baseball following the Classic.
“Yeah, of course, it was very special,” an emotional Espino said. “I felt more excited than anything. If anything, when I came out, the last time was a strikeout, I was very proud of myself. I feel really happy with everything I've done throughout my career. There's been highs and lows, but I'm really happy at the end.”
With Espino out of the game, the floodgates opened in the top of the sixth. Colombia loaded the bases with nobody out via two walks and a single. Looking to break the deadlock, designated hitter Jordan Diaz lofted a fly ball to left field that was just deep enough to score Michael Arroyo, who scampered home ahead of an off-line throw from Luis Castillo.
Then 39-year-old Reynaldo Rodriguez -- playing in his third Classic -- came through with Colombia’s biggest hit of the tournament. He scorched a single through the five hole that left the bat at 101.3 mph and scored a pair. One batter later, Daniel Vellojin tacked on another run with a bloop single that evaded shortstop José Caballero, capping a breakthrough four-run frame.
“Remember it's not about Reynaldo Rodriguez,” Rodriguez said after the game. “It's about Colombia. It's a country, and I believe it's quite an important victory for our country, not only for Reynaldo Rodriguez.”
Needing a win to stay alive, Panama could not recapture its magic from the night prior, when it engineered a stirring come-from-behind victory over Canada. Its late comeback attempt on Monday, which included a two-run eighth inning that ended with the go-ahead run stranded at second base, fell just short.
Panama and Colombia each finished pool play with a 1-3 record, though it’s still unknown which team will be relegated from Pool A. That’s because Canada (1-1) could still wind up with a 1-3 record in pool play. In the event of a two-way tie, Panama would be relegated to the qualifiers because of its head-to-head record against Colombia. But, in a potential three-way tie, further run-quotient tiebreakers would be used.