Roki Sasaki was in the stands for the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal between Mexico and Puerto Rico at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Friday night.
So perhaps the young pitching phenom saw how the resilient, jubilant Mexicans rallied from four runs down for a 5-4 victory over the favored Puerto Ricans. Maybe he noticed Randy Arozarena, the incandescent Tampa Bay Rays outfielder, preserve the one-run lead with a leaping grab near the wall in the eighth.
No matter what Sasaki and the teammates he attended the game with will remember, they hopefully they gained a better understanding of the challenge that awaits them in the semifinals of the WBC.
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