Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are set to face off in a pool stage showdown that has the potential to determine the future of both teams in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
After both teams were handed defeats by Venezuela, they now find themselves vying for second spot in Pool D. Nicaragua and Israel were also in the group, but have since been eliminated from the tournament.
"From first pitch to the last, Team Dominican Republic was dominant. #WorldBaseballClassic" - World Baseball Classic
The stage will be LoanDepot Park in Miami, as these two teams will battle it out to finish second in the pool. Action will get underway on Wednesday, March 15, at 7 pm local time.
Both teams feature lineups studded with MLB talent. Seattle Mariners Rookie of the Year Award winner Julio Rodriguez and Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Dominican Republic will go up against the likes of Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez of Puerto Rico.
For fans within the United States who are interested in watching the action live, it is worth remembering that Fox has exclusive TV broadcast rights within the continental USA to broadcast the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The game will be shown on the national Fox Network as well as most of its local sports subsidiaries.
Alternatively, many fans have found that streaming is also a viable option for those without a television or the necessary network connections.
"Jean Segura sends Team Dominican Republic to a win-or-go-home matchup tomorrow night against Team Puerto Rico! #WorldBaseballClassic" - World Baseball Classic
Many baseball fans have been using services such as Hulu, Amazon Prime and fuboTV to stream the 2023 World Baseball Classic action.
Bearing in mind that each service has varying costs associated with plans and regions, fans will pay anywhere from $80 to $110 monthly for a package that will allow them to catch all of the World Baseball Classic action.
Memories of 2017 WBC return as Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic have it all on the line again
A 3-1 win by the Puerto Ricans over the Dominican Republic in the 2017 WBC will be front and center in the minds of fans as they shuffle into the Miami Marlins home field to catch the action. Like it was five years ago, the winner will go on, and the loser will go home.