Puerto Rico is heading back to the World Baseball Classic championship game. They beat the Netherlands 4-3 in 11 innings (box score) in their semifinal game at Dodger Stadium on Monday night to clinch a spot in the final. The Netherlands, meanwhile, is heading home. Puerto Rico is a perfect 7-0 in the WBC.

 

Monday’s game started with a wild first inning , which featured an epic baserunning blunder by Jurickson Profar and a monster two-run home run by Wladimir Balentien. 

 

Puerto Rico answered right back courtesy of Carlos Correa’s two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. They took a 3-2 lead on T.J. Rivera’s solo home run in the second inning, then the Netherlands rallied to tie in the fifth. Catcher Shawn Zarraga doubled in the tying run, and it would have been a two-run double had Puerto Rico not executed a perfect relay to the plate.

 

The score remained tied 3-3 until the 11th inning, when the weird extra-inning rules kicked in. The Netherlands started the top of the 11th with runners on first and second, but failed to score thanks to a bunt and a double play. Puerto Rico then started the bottom of the 11th with runners on first and second. Molina bunted the runners up, Javier Baez was intentionally walked to set up the double play, and Eddie Rosario smacked a game-winning sac fly.

 

With the win, Puerto Rico returns to the WBC title game after finishing as the runner-up to the Dominican Republic in 2009. That team didn’t have Correa, Baez, and Francisco Lindor on the infield, however. Puerto Rico will play the winner of Tuesday’s USA vs. Japan game in Wednesday’s winner-take-all Championship Game.