Israel looks to upset mighty D.R. (on FS1)
Written by worldOneFm on March 14, 2023
All the attention has been on the much-anticipated matchup between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico on Wednesday. It could ultimately turn out to be a win-or-go-home situation for the two Caribbean rivals.
But Israel hopes to stand in the way of that by pulling off the upset against the Dominican Republic. Both teams came into the meeting with a 1-1 record and a win could put them one foot into the quarterfinal.
Israel is looking to bounce back after not recording a baserunner in a 10-0 loss to Puerto Rico. The Dominican side hopes to continue its positive momentum after a convincing 6-1 win over Nicaragua.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:
• Watch the World Baseball Classic live on FOX, FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes
Where: loanDepot park in Miami, Fla.
How can you watch: The game between Israel and the Dominican Republic is live on FS1. Games are available on FOX, FS1, FS2, or FOX Deportes, and every game can be streamed online in the FOX Sports App. For international viewing options, click here.
How can you listen: Live audio coverage of all games will be carried on Sirius XM, TuneIn, MLB.com and in the MLB App.
What’s at stake: The 20 teams have been placed in four pools of five teams for the first round of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with each team playing the others in its pool once each and the teams with the two best records in each pool at the end of this round advancing to the knockout stage. Both Israel and the D.R. have a 1-1 record in pool play. The other teams in Pool D are Nicaragua, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
Matchup history: It’s the first time the two sides meet in the World Baseball Classic.
Key players to watch
Israel: Joc Pederson, OF: In order for Israel to have a chance to advance in this tough group, they’re going to need Pederson, its most experienced big league hitter, to get going at the plate. He’s 1-for-6 through two games.
Dominican Republic: Manny Machado, 3B: Machado came about 25 combined feet from hitting three homers against Nicaragua, but the star third baseman was still able to hit a homer and a double in the win.
By Juan Toribio
