Luis Urías hit an RBI hit within a three-run seventh inning on Friday night as Mexico rallied to beat Puerto Rico 5-4 and advanced to the World Baseball Classic semifinals for the first time in its history.
Down 4-2 after six innings, Isaac Paredes tied the game with a two-run double and Urías turned the score around with a single to right in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Mexicans the win.
Mexico, which had stayed in the first round in the last two tournaments, will face Japan in one of the semifinals of the championship.
The Puerto Ricans had reached the last two finals where they lost to the Dominican Republic and the United States, respectively.
Puerto Rico had taken the lead with a four-run attack in the first inning in which Javier Báez hit a two-run homer and Eddie Rosario followed with a homer with no men aboard.
Mexico pulled back in the second with a solo home run by Paredes and came up with an RBI single by Alex Verdugo and in the fifth to make it 4-2.
Paredes hit his double in the seventh and then Urías hit his timely drive to turn the score around and advance to the semifinals.
Reliever Jojo Romero (2-0) earned the victory with a two-thirds inning of work in which he only allowed a walk.
Closer Giovanny Gallegos scored the rescue by allowing two unstoppables in a tackle in which he also struck out a rival.
The loss went to Alexis Díaz (0-1), who allowed three runs, all earned, walked two and couldn’t get any out in the seventh inning.
Mexico starter Julio Urías of the Dodgers had another bad outing, allowing five hits and four runs in four innings to drop his ERA at 7.00, but well-timed drives from Paredes and Urías saved him from defeat.