Venezuela pounds Puerto Rico for WBC Final Four

MIAMI – Ramon Hernandez and his Venezuela teammates are headed to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic after a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico.

Hernandez was correctly awarded a home run Monday night following a bungled replay review, and Venezuela delighted a cacophonous crowd of 25,599 by securing a spot in the final four.

Puerto Rico lost for the first time in five WBC games and will face the United States on Tuesday night, with the loser eliminated and the winner advancing to the semifinals this weekend in Los Angeles. The game offers the Americans a chance to avenge an 11-1 loss to Puerto Rico on Saturday that triggered the mercy rule – invoked when scorelines blow out – ending the rout in the seventh inning.

Felix Hernandez and four relievers combined on a five-hitter and stranded 10 runners against Puerto Rico, which came into the game batting .341. Francisco Rodriguez retired all four batters he faced for his third save in the tournament.

Carlos Guillen singled home the first run in the third, and Ramon Hernandez doubled the margin in the seventh - but only after much debate and a 10-minute delay.

Second-base umpire Mark Wegner ruled Hernandez’s long drive to left-center in play when the ball ricocheted back onto the field, and he sprinted to third base for an apparent leadoff triple. Replays clearly showed the ball clearing the scoreboard and bouncing off retracted bleachers.

As the Venezuelans protested the call, the umpires conferred, with help from a translator. Three umpires then went under the stands for what was supposed to be the WBC’s first replay review, which is permitted on home run calls.

The umpires returned to the field and ruled the hit a homer, and Hernandez jogged across the plate as fans roared.

But after the game, umpire Ed Rapuano revealed that the umpires were unable to see the replay on their monitor because the feed from New York wasn’t working. So they came to a consensus on their own and changed the call. Rapuano said third base umpire Hitoshi Watarida was sure he saw the ball clear the fence.

Another reversed call hurt Puerto Rico’s chances of scoring in the second inning. With Alex Rios on first and none out, Ivan Rodriguez hit a grounder that caromed off Rios’ leg as he began to slide into second base. Rios was initially ruled safe, but after the umpires conferred they correctly called him out.

From the first pitch, the pro-Venezuelan crowd danced and sang, blew horns and whistles, chanted and waved flags and cheered with every favorable development. With the mood festive, booing of Magglio Ordonez was less vociferous than in the team’s game Saturday.

Many Venezuelans dislike the outfielder because he supports their country’s president, Hugo Chavez, and Ordonez drew a mix of cheers and jeers each time he stepped to the plate. He went 0-for-4 and is batting .150 (3-for-20) in the tournament.   (AP)