PANAMA CITY -- With a team that wasn't even supposed to be in the tournament, Panama beat Cuba 3-1 on Sunday to win its second ever Caribbean Series and first since 1950.

Panama was represented in the tournament for the first time since 1960 only after the Caribbean Professional Baseball Leagues moved the series out of Venezuela because of security concerns shortly before it began. With Panama hosting, the Toros de Herrera were invited to play as a guest.

The only previous Panamanian team to win the tournament was the Carta Vieja Yankees, who did it in 1950 with a roster full of American players.

This win adds to what already has been a big year for Panamanian baseball -- countryman Mariano Rivera became baseball's first unanimous Hall of Fame selection in January. Rivera was in attendance for the first night of the tournament.

Despite winning this year's tournament, it's still uncertain whether Panama will play next year in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Panama lifted the trophy after playing in the country's first Carribean Series since 1960. BIENVENIDO VELASCO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Allen Cordona and Elmer Reyes drove in runs in the bottom of the first inning against Freddy Asiel Alvarez and added a run in the seventh on Rodrigo Vigil's hit.

Carlos Benitez produced the Cubans' only run of the game in the fifth inning.

"There are no secrets. I had 29 warriors with a lot of talent and every day they gave me their best," Panama manager Manuel Rodriguez said. "When you play baseball in this way, you are going to get the titles and this win will help the baseball in Panama."

Javy Guerra, a shortstop in the minor leagues with the San Diego Padres, was named the most valuable player of the tournament.

The Cubans won their last title in 2015 and were looking to add a fourth championship on Panamanian soil, where they were the champions in 1952, 1956 and 1960. </s> Panama was only in the Caribbean Series because it was a secondary hosting choice, but it went ahead and won the entire thing Sunday.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Panama defeated Cuba 3-1 in Sunday's championship game to clinch the country's first Caribbean Series title since 1950 and second in its history. It was the first time the nation was in the tournament since 1960.

The AP explained Panama was only included in the field because the series was moved from Venezuela to Panama for security concerns, opening up a guest invitation.

"There are no secrets. I had 29 warriors with a lot of talent and every day they gave me their best," Panama manager Manuel Rodriguez said, per the AP. "When you play baseball in this way, you are going to get the titles and this win will help the baseball in Panama."



It was quite the underdog story, and the home fans were in a celebratory mood after the victory:

Panama reached the final with a 1-0 victory over Puerto Rico on Saturday, while Cuba defeated Venezuela 3-0. It was a notable win for Cuba, seeing how it lost in the semifinals the three previous years after winning the Caribbean Series in 2015.

However, Panama prevailed in Sunday's title game, and the AP noted shortstop Javy Guerra was named the tournament's MVP.

Guerra is a minor leaguer in the San Diego Padres' system and played 13 games last season for the major league club. He slashed .125/.263/.125 with an RBI and three walks in those 13 contests.

This victory also stands out for Panama because the 1950 team that won the tournament, the Carta Vieja Yankees, did so with a roster of American players, per the AP. </s> PANAMA CITY — Former big leaguer Manny Corpas closed out Panama’s 1-0 victory over Puerto Rico on Saturday night, setting up a championship game against Cuba in the Caribbean Series.

The Panamanians are playing in their first final since 1960, when they lost to Cuba. Panama has one Caribbean Series title, won in 1950.

Panama was a late host for the tournament after it was moved from Venezuela for security concerns.

Oriel Caicedo, who previously pitched in Atlanta’s minor league system, pitched 5 1/3 innings of three-hit ball for Panama. Corpas, who had 19 saves for Colorado in 2007, worked the ninth.

Cuba won the Caribbean Series in 2015 and has lost in the semifinals the last three years. </s> The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Former big leaguer Manny Corpas closed out Panama’s 1-0 victory over Puerto Rico on Saturday night, setting up a championship game against Cuba in the Caribbean Series.

The Panamanians are playing in their first final since 1960, when they lost to Cuba. Panama has one Caribbean Series title, won in 1950.

Panama was a late host for the tournament after it was moved from Venezuela for security concerns.

Oriel Caicedo, who previously pitched in Atlanta’s minor league system, pitched 5 1/3 innings of three-hit ball for Panama. Corpas, who had 19 saves for Colorado in 2007, worked the ninth.

Cuba won the Caribbean Series in 2015 and has lost in the semifinals the last three years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. </s> LOS ANGELES — There is a remarkable spirit in the Puerto Rico national baseball team, the one that played Monday into the World Baseball Classic final. With that spirit, there is a showman, one that plays to the crowd that is present and calls to the people of their island. Thought inferior to neighboring teams not long ago in the Dominican Republic, in Venezuela, in Cuba, in America, the Puerto Rico baseball franchise has grown into the place of Molina, of Lindor, of Baez, of Correa, others, men — most of them young — so that the game suits them, and they, it. Maybe they do lack the numbers of players. But, then, they only require nine at any one time.

They play, for one, as if there are no consequences in defeat. As though the greater regret would be in not having a hell of a time doing it, whatever the outcome, even when the outcome is most important of all.

And now the team that only lost in the WBC final four years ago is again the team that is maybe better than you thought, that wins on small deeds in a tournament designed to expose small deeds, to turn them into catastrophe, that throws friends and strangers into two weeks of chaos and dares them to play ball.

Puerto Rico beat the Netherlands, 4-3, in 11 innings at Dodger Stadium. They are 7-0 in the tournament. They won on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Eddie Rosario after WBC rules placed runners at first and second to start the 11th, after the Dutch rolled into a double play with the bases loaded in the top of the inning.

“It means a lot,” said Carlos Correa, the 22-year-old Houston Astros shortstop turned third baseman for this event, “because Puerto Ricans have gone through a very difficult situation currently and we were able to unite our country. … We have united the country through sports.”

Also, through personality. Through blond heads. Through razor-sharp baseball that typically has no place in March. Through a big ol’ party that for three or four hours becomes a ballgame.

“I think,” Netherlands manager Hensley Meulens said, “they’re the strongest team we’ve faced in the tournament.”

So, the first inning Monday night. Seems like forever ago, granted. Given it ended 2-2, no blood, it would hardly be worth a mention, except for it being among the stranger and cooler innings ever, and except it began with the Netherlands conducting itself as if it had never heard of Yadier Molina and ended with the entire Puerto Rican team conducting an aerobics class at home plate, only with patriotism. Like they flash-mobbed the WBC, the tournament that provides the rare games on U.S. soil in which players grant each other their baseball emotions, their baseball cultures. Want to flip a bat? Go. Want to scream to the heavens? Louder, dude. Want to expose your chest, Superman style? It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Nelson Cruz.

Which is, among other things, what makes the WBC so charming. So watchable. So … fun.

Anyway, they had a flag. They did jumping jacks. They clung to each other and danced in circles. They rubbed their own yellow hair and their neighbor’s yellow hair, all of it yellow for the benefit of this tournament. By opening day there’ll be some pretty serious conversations to be had about roots.

As we were saying, this was in the first inning.

Correa homered to tie the score, 2-2, off a curveball from Rick van den Hurk that hung for so long the dry cleaners were within their rights to keep it.

If you didn’t know the score or the inning, and had just wandered up the hill from Echo Park because, why not, there were plenty of empty seats, you might’ve believed Puerto Rico had won on a walk-off home run. In actuality, there had been all of four outs recorded, Netherlands had just thrown its 16th pitch, and the folks who were here hadn’t yet completely untangled the whole Curacao-Netherlands-Aruba connection.

And that wasn’t the half of it, it being the first inning.

I don’t know if the WBC has “annals” yet. They’re only four tournaments into this thing and honestly it’s hard to remember much about any of them, beyond a vague sense they happened. Still, Yadier Molina’s first inning was annals worthy.

Andrelton Simmons, Dutch leadoff hitter, reached first on an infield single. Then Xander Bogaerts was hit with a pitch in the back. Jurickson Profar, up next, squared around and withdrew his bat and then Molina had the ball in his mitt and Simmons was about 15 feet off second base. Molina, who could’ve run the ball out and tagged Simmons he was so far off base, instead picked him off with a throw. Molina moment No. 1.

No longer in a position to bunt, Profar singled to right field. He was very pleased about that. The Netherlands was rallying. So he curled around first base as the throw from right field went to the plate, then turned and threw his arms in the air, encouraging the light crowd to rally up for his squad, and shouted something encouraging to his bench, this all as he trod confidently back to first base. At which point Molina flung the ball to first baseman T.J. Rivera, who tagged the distracted Profar on the right thigh for the second out of the inning. At which point Profar stopped gesturing and shouting and stared into space, presumably thinking, Well that just happened. “For me, that was the game,” Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “That first inning that Yadi Molina did what he did, for me, that was the game. Again, Yadier Molina came to play.” A disaster for the Netherlands. Right up until five pitches later, when Wladimir Balentien crashed a home run to left field for two runs, which was only the start of it. The start of a game in which neither could shake the other, not until the last ball was in play, not until Puerto Rico had raised its flag again. </s> USA prepares to face off against Panama in Group B play of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup on July 8, 4:30 p.m. EST at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Panama and the USA are accompanied by Martinique and Nicaragua in Group B.

The U.S. men's national team has won this tournament five times with its most recent victory coming in 2013, but this year it looks to avenge its poor 2015 showing, which culminated in a loss in penalties to Panama in the third-place match.

The U.S. looks to follow up a 2-1 friendly victory over Ghana with a win against Panama, while Panama hopes to snap into gear with a victory over the U.S., coming off of three straight draws–including a 1-1 effort vs. the USA in World Cup qualifying.

Live stream: Watch live with Fubo TV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. </s> LOS ANGELES — Carlos Correa was 17 and watching the World Baseball Classic on television four years ago, too young to participate.

When his chance came around this time, the Houston Astros’ star shortstop was up to the task.

Correa hit a two-run homer in the first inning and scored the winning run in the 11th to give Puerto Rico a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Netherlands on Monday night.

Next up is a spot in the championship game.

“When I feel that I’m all excited, I try to calm down, breathe deep and concentrate on what we’re doing,” Correa said. “This is something that we rehearse every day, so we will be able to do it well at the end.”

Eddie Rosario, who went 0 for 4, hit a sacrifice fly to center field in the 11th that drove in Correa, triggering a massive celebration on the field and in the stands from red, white and blue-clad fans pounding cow bells and tooting horns and whistles.

T.J. Rivera’s solo shot in the second put Puerto Rico ahead 3-2.

Puerto Rico will play either two-time champion Japan or the United States for the title on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. The Puerto Ricans also reached the final in 2013, losing to the Dominican Republic 3-0.

Puerto Rico has outscored its opponents 55-18 while going 7-0 in this year’s tournament.

“It means a lot because Puerto Ricans have gone through a very difficult situation currently and we were able to unite our country,” Correa said.

The blond Puerto Rican players, who dyed their hair in a show of unity that has caught on back home, jumped up and down after a lively, emotional and sometimes-testy semifinal that included four replay reviews during the fourth and fifth innings of a game that lasted 4 hours, 19 minutes.

When it was finally over, Kike Hernandez, who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Hiram Burgos raced around the field carrying Puerto Rican flags above their heads.

Curt Smith grounded into a bases-loaded, inning-ending double play for the Netherlands in the 11th, which began with runners on first and second for both teams under tournament rules. It was one of three double plays turned by Puerto Rico.

Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina’s defense saved Puerto Rico from a potential grand slam in the first inning when Wladimir Balentien’s homer helped the Netherlands to a 2-0 lead, giving orange-clad fans a reason to cheer.

“For me, that was the game,” Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “Yadier Molina came to play.”

Molina capitalized on two baserunning blunders by the Dutch.

Jorge Lopez allowed a leadoff single to Andrelton Simmons and hit Xander Bogaerts with a pitch. Simmons later wandered off the bag toward third and Molina threw to second, but Simmons couldn’t get back in time and got caught in a rundown.

Jurickson Profar singled to right, but was slow getting back to first while celebrating and was picked off by Molina, who took Rosario’s relay from the outfield. Balentien followed with his mammoth, two-out shot, and celebrated with a bat flip.

“Frustrating for me is the mental errors that we committed,” Netherlands manager Hensley Meulens said. “We talked to the guys before the game about the experience of Yadier Molina behind the plate. If you get too far off, he’ll pick you off, and that’s what happened. Then Jurickson getting the base hit, celebrating and not getting back to the base, that’s unacceptable. That could have been the difference in us winning or not.”

Balentien, who had three hits, has been the top slugger in the WBC, batting .615 (16 for 26) with 12 RBIs. His four homers were one shy of the tournament record. He last played in the major leagues in 2009 and has been playing for Yakult in Japan since 2011.

Edwin Diaz threw high and inside to Balentien in the 10th, causing Balentien to point at his head and shake his finger in a warning to Diaz. Players from both teams came out of the dugout, but the situation didn’t escalate.

Correa came over to calm down Diaz.

“We were full of emotions,” Correa said.

Molina stepped in front of Balentien, as if to dissuade him from approaching the mound, while plate umpire Lance Barksdale attempted to keep the peace. Balentien took a called third strike, one of three punchouts by Diaz in the inning.

“It’s just emotions pouring into that at-bat,” Meulens said. “Coco had two great swings and two fastballs. The next pitches are in the head area inside. Up in the zone like that is kind of dangerous if it hits you.”

Diaz got the victory, and 7-foot-1 Loek Van Mil took the loss.

The Netherlands tied it 3-all in the fifth on Shawn Zarraga’s RBI double to deep left-center. That scored Balentien after he doubled high off the videoboard on the left-field wall with two outs. Jonathan Schoop, who had been intentionally walked, was thrown out at the plate on a strong relay by second baseman Javier Baez, a close play that was reviewed.

Baez turned a double play to end the eighth, fielding Smith’s grounder and tagging Yurendell Decaster as he ran to second before getting Smith at first. Puerto Rican fans burst into chants and waved flags.

Bogaerts grounded into a double play on a chopper up the middle to end the ninth.

Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers closer, retired the side on nine pitches in the bottom of the ninth, striking out two for the Netherlands. </s> Download the CBS Sports App today and get the latest scores, news and alerts from Major League Baseball, plus get daily MLB picks from SportsLine!

Wednesday night in Dodger Stadium, the United States and Puerto Rico will play one final game to determine the 2017 World Baseball Classic ( 9 p.m. ET: How to watch USA-Puerto Rico ). As was the case when these two teams met in second-round pool play ( PR 6, USA 5 ), right-hander Marcus Stroman of the Blue Jays will go for the U.S. opposite right-hander Seth Lugo of the Mets for Puerto Rico.

So what’s it going to take for the U.S. to top Puerto Rico in this winner-take-all affair? Consider what follows to be a non-exhaustive list ...

Starting pitching has been a pronounced strength for Team USA throughout this, its deepest WBC run ever. However, Stroman’s start against Puerto Rico in pool play was an exception, as he allowed four runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. Stroman walked only one on the night and spotted 51 of his 77 pitches for strikes. However, he was hit hard in the zone, as his line for the game will tell you. This might be an emotional outing for Stroman, who has had to defend himself and his mother for choosing to pitch for the U.S. over Puerto Rico. Keeping those emotions in check will be key.

This goes for Stroman and whoever else pitches against Puerto Rico in this game. You know, of course, that P.R.’s two-three-four hitters -- Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and Carlos Beltran -- are excellent hitters. They’ve also been producing at a high level throughout the 2017 WBC. Coming into Wednesday night’s final, Lindor owns a WBC OPS of 1.221, Correa checks in at 1.463 and Beltran is at 1.065. If you limit the damage that heart of the order does, then the rest of the PR lineup should be manageable. That’ll be a real test for the US staff in the final.

Don’t hit the ball on the ground

Puerto Rico’s infield defense is strong. In Lindor, you have one of the best defensive shortstops in the game today. Javier Baez, the second baseman, is of course an elite fielder, and Correa, a shortstop, has looked strong at the less-premium position of third base during the tournament. Fortunately for the U.S., Lugo’s ground-ball tendencies aren’t as strong as you would think given his repertoire (sinker and high-spin curve are probably his best two offerings). However, he attacks them, the U.S. lineup will do well to elevate the ball against Lugo and keep their balls in play out of the teeth of the P.R. defense.

Do damage in the middle innings

Puerto Rico boasts one of the best young closers in the game in Edwin Diaz. However, the bridge from Lugo to Diaz is much less certain. That Hector Santiago has worked high-leverage relief innings for Puerto Rico in this tournament says a lot. If the game’s tight, then the U.S. probably needs to get its licks in before Diaz, coming off an off day, takes the bump.

The Rockies third baseman might be the best all-around player on the U.S. roster, but he’s not hitting. Coming into the final, Areando in the WBC has batted .136/.208/.318, and he’s coming off a performance against Japan in the semifinals in which he went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts. U.S. manager Jim Leyland seems to have forgotten that Alex Bregman is on the roster, so there’s no reason to think Arenado won’t start in the final. That’s perfectly reasonable, given Arenado’s defensive value and the sample size underpinning his offensive struggles. On Wednesday, however, the Americans might need a big hit from the guy who has cracked 83 homers over the past two MLB seasons (and, before you say something, 38 away from Coors Field over that span).

The U.S. has only one stolen base (by Eric Hosmer, it should be noted). That’s a remarkably risk-averse approach, but it’s a wise one given the power up and down the lineup. It would behoove the Americans to stick to that strategy Wednesday given that “Death to Running Things” Yadier Molina will be behind the plate for Puerto Rico. Molina has already cut down more than his share of runners, attentive or otherwise , in the WBC, so let’s not test him.

People, we’re talking about one isolated game of baseball in March. Baseball has so much structural parity and randomness that sketching out what will happen in advance is a fool’s errand. It’s easy to forget this across the sprawl of the six-month regular season, but weird bounces, bloop hits and other flavors of happenstance can play an outsized role in any one game. Lest we forget, this is one game. If it’s close, then the U.S. might need that lucky break to get past an undefeated Puerto Rico squadron.

Now let’s do this. </s> The World Baseball Classic championship will be staying in the Western Hemisphere as the United States and Puerto Rico meet in the championship game at Dodger Stadium.

Both squads are seeking their first gold medal in the competition. The U.S. is in the final for the first time; Puerto Rico is in for the second consecutive time. It lost to the Dominican Republic in the 2013 final.

MORE: Eric Byrnes rips players, owners over U.S. reluctance to participate

Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman will start for the U.S.; Mets right-hander Seth Lugo will take the mound for Puerto Rico. Lugo pitched against the U.S. earlier in the tournament, on March 17. He allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings, including a solo home run by Buster Posey.

Sporting News will have live updates of the 2017 World Baseball Classic final between the United States and Puerto Rico.

9 p.m.: Not only is Lugo pitching for Puerto Rican baseball glory, he's also pitching for a job. He's behind Robert Gsellman for the No. 5 spot in the Mets' loaded rotation. His work in the WBC has kept him in the discussion for at least a long relief role. Mets manager Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen noticed how well Lugo handled Venezuela's lineup in his first start in the tournament. Lugo will be able to throw the maximum 95 pitches tonight, so he could get very deep into the game if he's dealing.
In baseball, the Toros de Herrera become the first Panamanian team since 1950 to win the Caribbean Series as they defeat the Leñadores de Las Tunas of Cuba 3-1 in the final.