The defending World Baseball Classic champion, the Dominican Republic, opens WBC 2017 against Canada at Marlins Park in Miami today at 6 p.m. ET (live on MLB.TV and MLB Network).
The contest will be the the first of the 2017 Classic to be played in North America. It will also be the opener for teams from Pool C, which also includes Colombia and the United States.
The Dominican Republic went 8-0 in the 2013 Classic and is 14-4 all-time in the tournament. Canada, who will be looking to reach the second round for the first time, is 3-5 all-time in Classic play.
:: 2017 World Baseball Classic ::
Today's game will be the first meeting between the two nations in Classic play.
The World Baseball Classic runs through March 22. In the U.S., games air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premium subscribers in the U.S. have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. The tournament is being distributed internationally across all forms of television, internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games at Marlins Park, Tokyo Dome, Estadio Charros de Jalisco in Mexico, Petco Park, as well as the Championship Round at Dodger Stadium, while complete coverage -- including schedules, video, stats and gear -- is available at WorldBaseballClassic.com.
Three things to know about this game
• Former All-Star right-hander Ryan Dempster is scheduled to start for Canada. Dempster had a 16-year MLB career from 1998-2013, pitching for the Marlins, Reds, Cubs, Rangers and Red Sox. The Dominican Republic will counter with Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez. The 25-year-old has a 3.32 ERA over four seasons with St. Louis.
• The Dominican Republic roster boasts 16 MLB All-Stars, second only to the United States' 18. Among them are Adrian Beltre, Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Manny Machado.
• Canada's roster includes four MLB All-Stars, among them 2006 American League MVP Justin Morneau, Freddie Freeman and 2003 National League Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne.