U.S. advances to second round of World Baseball Classic

Nolan Arenado and Buster Posey homered and drove in three runs apiece to help the United States earn a berth in the second round of the World Baseball Classic with an 8-0 victory against Canada on Sunday night in Miami.

The Americans finished 2-1 in pool play and bounced back from a tough loss Saturday, when they blew a five-run lead and lost 7-5 to the Dominican Republic. The U.S. team failed to reach the final in the three previous WBCs.

In other games:

• Carlos Correa hit a three-run homer, and Puerto Rico qualified for the second round with a 9-3 victory against Italy. Correa connected in the fourth inning, belting a drive to left-center to make it 7-3. The Houston Astros star also walked twice and scored two runs. Enrique Hernandez also drove in three runs for Puerto Rico, which went 3-0 in the first round. Puerto Rico also beat Venezuela 11-0 and Mexico 9-4.

• Welington Castillo hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the Dominican Republic's seven-run 11th inning, sending his country to a 10-3 victory over Colombia to advance to the second round.

St. Louis Cardinals star Yadier Molina criticized Major League Baseball and the local authorities for a lack of security around the families of Puerto Rico's players at the World Baseball Classic.

A fight broke out in the stands Saturday night before the ninth inning of the game between Puerto Rico and Mexico at the Charros de Jalisco stadium. Players from Puerto Rico came out of the dugout because many of their families were seated close to the disturbance — Molina was visibly upset and Javier Baez attempted to jump the fence.

Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez is set for another test on his left knee after getting injured in a collision with Royals backup catcher Drew Butera in the World Baseball Classic.

Perez is returning to the Royals' spring training camp Monday and will have an MRI. The four-time All-Star and 2015 World Series MVP was hurt Saturday in Mexico while playing for Venezuela and is out of the tournament.

"The doctors told me that I will be out for a couple of weeks," Perez said Sunday. "There's no structural damage. ... Thank God this is not going to keep me away for months. I will be ready for Opening Day."

First baseman Ian Desmond left Colorado's spring game against Cincinnati after he was hit by a pitch, breaking his left hand.

Desmond was plunked by a 93-mile-per-hour fastball in the fourth inning Sunday. The Rockies say the preliminary diagnosis on Desmond is a left hand fracture, and he will see a specialist Monday.

Kipnis has been dealing with the problem this spring and had a cortisone shot two weeks ago.

• The Nationals reportedly placed catcher Derek Norris on waivers.