Classic's 2nd walk-off HR of the day completes wild Puerto Rico comeback

In a World Baseball Classic thriller in San Juan on Saturday night, Team Puerto Rico averted a major upset on its home soil with a 4-3 walk-off victory over Panama in 10 innings, with Darell Hernaiz capping the victory with a no-doubt homer to left off Severino González.

With the win, Puerto Rico improved to 2-0 in the tournament, while Panama fell to 0-2.

Hernaiz's shot was the second walk-off home run in World Baseball Classic history -- and the second of the day. Earlier Saturday, Ozzie Albies clinched the Netherlands’ win over Nicaragua with a three-run homer in the ninth inning at loanDepot park in Miami.

Trailing, 2-1, entering the bottom of the ninth, Puerto Rico got a one-out walk from Eddie Rosario before Martín Maldonado singled to right. One out later, Matthew Lugo walked to load the bases for Willi Castro, who drew a walk that forced in the tying run.

Then, after Panama went back ahead on a José Caballero RBI single in the top of the 10th, Puerto Rico answered again with a game-tying forceout before Hernaiz's walk-off heroics.

It was a pitchers’ duel over the first four innings, with Panama’s Ariel Jurado and Puerto Rico’s Eduardo Rivera matching zeroes on the scoreboard. But after Rivera was lifted from the game with one on and one out in the fifth, Panama broke the deadlock.

Bethancourt drove an RBI double to center field and Luis Castillo followed with another RBI double against reliever Jorge López, giving Panama a 2-0 lead.

Puerto Rico answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Nolan Arenado. But with runners on first and second with one out, Panama’s Kenny Hernandez came in from the bullpen and got Carlos Cortes to ground into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, preserving the one-run advantage.

In the middle of the seventh, play was stopped for 24 minutes due to rain. Upon resumption of the game, Hernandez picked up where he left off, making a huge pitch to strike out Lugo with runners on the corners and two outs in the seventh.

The bottom of the eighth was another tense frame, with Panama getting tremendous defensive contributions from Bethancourt. Panama's first baseman made a diving play to rob Heliot Ramos of a hit before digging out a low throw from short for the third out with the tying run on base.