The round-robin portion of the playoffs concludes.
VENEZUELA 4, MEXICO 2 (VENEZUELA HOME TEAM)
Mexico: Eric Farris (Minnesota) was 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one. Russell Branyan was 2-for-4 with a double. Salvador Valdez pitched 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits and four walks with one strikeout.
Venezuela: Oswaldo Arcia (Minnesota) was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk. Alexi Amarista (San Diego) was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in one. Junior Guerra (White Sox) struck out seven in five innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits and three walks.
The game: Farris singled in a run in the first and scored on a sacrifice fly in the sixth to put Mexico up 2-0. RBI doubles by Amarista and Felix Perez (Cincinnati) tied the score in the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom of the eighth, Arcia hit a two-out two-run homer to give Venezuela the lead. Mexico went down in order in the ninth.
PUERTO RICO 3, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2 (PUERTO RICO HOME TEAM)
Dominican Republic: Maikel Franco (Philadelphia) was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Elian Herrera (MIlwaukee) was 1-for-3 with a double and a run. Marlon Arias pitched five innings, giving up two runs on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
Puerto Rico: Luis Figueroa was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs. A. J. Jimenez (Toronto) was 2-for-3 with a walk. Jorge Martinez struck out seven in 6.1 innings, allowing one run on one hit and two walks.
The game: Enrique Hernandez (Dodgers) singled in a run in the third to put Puerto Rico up 1-0. Franco homered to tie it in the top of the fifth but Reymond Fuentes (Kansas City) singled in a run in the bottom of the fifth to give Puerto Rico a 2-1 lead. Franco singled in a run with two out in the ninth to tie it up, but in the bottom of the ninth, Daniel Ortiz (Minnesota) delivered an RBI triple to give Puerto Rico the victory.
STANDINGS
Venezuela, 4-0
Dominican Republic, 2-2
Mexico, 2-2
Cuba, 1-3
Puerto Rico, 1-3
SEMI-FINALS
Mexico at Dominican Republic
Cuba at Venezuela
All games are played in Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.