SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — Canada defeated Puerto Rico 3–2 on Tuesday night at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, capitalizing on a key third-inning rally to remain alive in Pool A play of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Despite the loss, Puerto Rico had already secured a spot in the quarterfinal round and will now turn its attention toward Daikin Park in Houston, Texas as the tournament moves into the knockout stage.
Puerto Rico fell to Canada by a final score of 3-2 Tuesday night in San Juan and soon after the game, Team Rubio gave a round of applause to the fans for their support – Image Credit: World Baseball Classic/Major League Baseball
The game on Tuesday was played under challenging conditions, with light rain falling before first pitch and additional delays throughout the night. Still, Puerto Rico struck first in front of an energized San Juan crowd of 18,997.
In the opening inning, Nolan Arenado delivered an RBI single to give Puerto Rico a 1–0 lead.
Canada responded in the third inning, taking advantage of control issues from the Puerto Rican bullpen. After starter José De León exited, reliever Rico Garcia entered with the bases loaded and two outs. Canada quickly capitalized when Tyler O’Neill drew a bases-loaded walk that forced in the tying run.
Moments later, top Canadian prospect Owen Caissie lined a double that kept the rally alive. The decisive blow came when Abraham Toro lined a single down the right-field line, bringing Caissie home and giving Canada a 3–1 lead.
Owen Caissie kept the third-inning rally going for Canada Tuesday night in their clash with Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium – Image Credit: World Baseball Classic/Major League Baseball
Puerto Rico responded immediately in the bottom of the fourth. Veteran catcher Martín Maldonado, playing in his final professional career game after announcing he will retire, drove in Arenado with a ground ball to cut the deficit to 3–2 and reignite the home crowd.
From there, Canada’s pitching staff took control.
Starter Jordan Balazovic worked three innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. Left-hander Logan Allen followed with three solid frames, and closer Scott Dykxhoorn shut the door with three scoreless innings to earn the save.
Puerto Rico threatened in the late innings but could not find the tying run. The hosts entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 3–2, hoping for another dramatic walk-off moment in San Juan, but the Canadian bullpen held firm to secure the victory.
The loss left a bittersweet feeling for Puerto Rico, which remains focused on its championship aspirations as the tournament shifts to the United States.
Puerto Rico general manager Carlos Beltrán also confirmed that right-handed pitcher José Berríos, who won the AL LatinoMVP Starting Pitcher Award in 2019, will not be available for the second round after insurance approval from his Major League organization was denied.
“There’s no doubt he could’ve helped us,” Beltrán said.
“The process has been frustrating, but we have to move forward.”
José Berríos will be unable to pitch for Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic quarterfinal round due to his insurance approval from his Major League organization getting denied – Image Credit: Emma Sharon/Latino Sports
Manager Yadier Molina emphasized the importance of maintaining team chemistry heading into the elimination rounds.
“We have really good chemistry,” Molina said. “I’ve said it a lot during these press conferences and I want to keep it. I want to keep this good chemistry within the clubhouse and improve the offense a little bit.”
Puerto Rico will now prepare for its quarterfinal matchup in Houston on Friday, March 13 or Saturday, March 14, with right-hander Seth Lugo, a multiple-time LatinoMVP Pitcher/Reliever Award winner, emerging as a possible starting option as the team adjusts its pitching plan for the next stage of the tournament.
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