Day 18:
Dominican Republic 3, Puerto Rico 0
The championship game starters were Samuel Deduno for the Dominican Republic and Giancarlo Alvarado for Puerto Rico. Samuel Deduno was fantastic, only surrendering two hits and three walks in five scoreless innings while striking out five on way to one final win for the Dominicans. The Dominican bats got to work on Alvarado early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Jose Reyes began the inning with an emphatic double to center and advanced to third on a sacrifice by Erick Aybar. Robinson Cano would be intentionally walked to put runners on first and third with one out.
Edwin Encarnacion broke the game open with his two run double to the center field warning track, scoring Reyes and Cano to give the Dominicans an early 2-0 lead. Deduno kept the Puerto Ricans off the bases until he had to get himself out of a little trouble in the top of the fifth. Alex Rios drew a lead off walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Deduno fought back by forcing back-to-back fly outs, but gave up a two-out walk to Jesus Feliciano to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Angel Pagan, who singled in the first, came up to bat with a chance to cut into the Dominicans lead, but would swing and miss on strike three to end the inning. 
Hiram Burgos kept the Dominican bats in check through three innings, until the bottom of the fifth. Alejandro De Aza reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on a ground out by Jose Reyes. Erick Aybar followed with a two-out RBI double to score De Aza, making it 3-0. Puerto Rico's best chance at a comeback came in the seventh inning against Octavio Dotel. Mike Aviles led off with a single and Alex Rios drew a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Tony Pena, the Dominican Republic manager, wasn't taking any chances and made the change to Pedro Strop. This decision would pay off big-time, as Strop struck out the first two men he faced and got Jesus Feliciano to foul out to Miguel Tejada at third to end the inning unscathed. In the top of the eighth Angel Pagan drew a lead off walk, but Santiago Casilla would retire the next three batters to preserve the 3-0 lead. Fernando Rodney entered the top of the ninth and other than Mike Aviles lining a ball past Tejada's glove at third, got the last three outs in order; striking out Luis Figueroa to end the game and give the Dominican Republic the championship. 
The Dominican Republic held Puerto Rico to three hits on the night, the bullpen only allowed one hit in four innings. Fernando Rodney caps off a record-setting WBC by recording seven saves and did not allow a run in his 7.1 innings. Jose Reyes had two hits and a run, Erick Aybar had two hits and a RBI, and Edwin Encarnacion had the big two-run double in the first to lead the Dominicans to victory. Puerto Rico is eliminated, and the Dominican Republic are the 2013 World Baseball Classic Champions! Congrats to the Dominican Republic on their first championship and on becoming the first team to win the title going undefeated with their 8-0 record.
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