HOUSTON (AP) — J.J. D’Orazio doubled with three RBIs and Andrew Fischer drove in two runs as Italy kept up its charmed World Baseball Classic run with an 8-6 win over Puerto Rico on Saturday to earn its first trip to the semifinals.

Catching up on all day's action from the World Baseball Classic.

HOUSTON — Warm up the espresso machine and chill the wine, Italy is heading to the World Baseball Classic semifinals. The Azzurri continued their perfect WBC run with an 8-6 win over Puerto Rico Saturday to earn their first trip to the semifinals.

One side of the bracket features two heavyweights in the Dominican Republic and Team USA, star-studded squads that charted very different paths to the penultimate round. The D.R. steamrollered most of its five opponents, while the Americans have looked only on occasion like the powerhouse they are on paper.

In the end, Venezuela’s loss to the Dominican Republic during pool play was merely a blip on the journey. On Saturday, Venezuela bested the reigning champions Samurai Japan 8-5,

The Cleveland Guardians have gotten major representation in the World Baseball Classic this year, and now, they'll have another player added to the equation as infielder Brayan Rocchio has been given the nod to play for Team Italy in the semi-final round.

Italy’s magical World Baseball Classic run continues, and so does Greg Weissert’s impressive performance on the global stage. The Red Sox reliever recorded a five-out save on Saturday evening to send Puerto Rico home and advance the still undefeated Italy to the penultimate round of the triennial tournament.

Team Italy's newfound 2026 World Baseball Classic success is sparking unprecedented interest across Italy during the tournament.