Puerto Rico supports Yadier Molina’s words by beating the Red Sox

The Puerto Rican team defeats the Boston Red Sox in its first exhibition game heading to the 2026 World Baseball Classic

Yadier Molina threatened in it first training of the selection of Puerto Rico that the goal is he championship of the World Baseball Classic 2026and his team back fast words his manager in it first preparation match.

Puerto Rico scored three runs with his first four batters in the victory 5-3 over the Boston Red Soxin the first of only two games they will have against Major League rivals, in their mini preseason prior to the Classic.

“We have a goal that is to go out every day to compete and try to win that championship,” Molina said Monday, after the first training session with his team. Nolan Arenado singled in the first run off Willi Castro’s spikes; Arenado himself scored the second taking advantage of a wild pitch and MJ Meléndez put Carlos Cortés home with a sacrifice for the third Puerto Rican streak of the game in the initial inning.

From there, they seemed fired up with the wood. They were able to increase the lead in the fourth and fifth innings, but good defense by Mexican second baseman Marcelo Mayer and first baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa managed to get the Red Sox out with minimal damage.

The Puerto Ricans’ fourth run came in the fourth inning with a double by Emmanuel Rivera for Cortés to score again. And the fifth with an RBI single by Amed Rosario, which put Captain Martín Maldonado in the register, in the sixth reel.

The rest was taken care of by the pitching and defense, which kept Boston’s bats unstoppable until the sixth inning, when Kiner-Falefa hit the second hit, which also drove in his team’s first run through Mayer, who had reached base with a walk.

In that same inning, Kiner-Falefa scored Boston’s second run with a hit by Mickey Gasper. Joelin Cespedes pushed Andrew Monastery with the third and final run of the night for the Major League team.

Ironically, the reliever who allowed Boston’s first two runs, Eric Riverapitched in a Red Sox uniform, just a few hours after he was released by the Puerto Rican team.

Puerto Rico was the only team in Group A that won a preparation match this Tuesday, after Canada, Colombia, Cuba and Panama lost to Toronto, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and the New York Yankees, respectively.

The Puerto Rico team will close its mini camp in Florida against the Minnesota Twins this Wednesday, immediately afterward they will travel to Puerto Rico, where they will have training and a media day on Thursday, before opening their participation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Friday at home against Colombia.