SURPRISE, Ariz. _ On Saturday, they stopped. The players who don't normally watch baseball watched. The ones who normally go to sleep early stayed up late. They tweeted and texted.
For a night at least, Team USA and the World Baseball Classic mattered to the American-born Rangers.
Facing a win-or-go-home scenario, Team USA overcame an early deficit, got a breathtaking go-ahead home run from Giancarlo Stanton and a gasp-inducing, game-saving catch from Adam Jones and eliminated the defending champion Dominican Republic, 6-3. The U.S., with Rangers Sam Dyson and Jonathan Lucroy both playing, advanced to the semifinals.
"I hope it mattered to the fans," said shortstop Elvis Andrus, who played for Venezuela in 2013. "Especially after (Saturday). If not, people are missing out. It's a great tournament and it's only going to get better now."
Here, then, are a few snippets from the night when the Americans finally got the drift of the intention of the international tournament.
