Trea Turner homered with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth inning and the USA rallied from a midgame slump to defeat 9-7 Venezuela and advance to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic.
With the game trailing 7-5 with no outs, Turner hit a huge homer over the left-field fence, turning over a score in a game that featured 21 hits.
It was the third bases-loaded home run in Los Angeles history. USA in the World Baseball Classic. David Wright (2013) and Jason Varitek (2006) connected the others.
The North American offense attacked the Venezuelans early, with five consecutive hits opening the first inning, to take a 3-0 lead, which the South Americans quickly discounted, before a crowd of 35,792 that seemed to massively support the Latin Americans.
But with two home runs from Luis Arraez and a fifth episode of four scores, the Venezuelans got into the game.
Arráez’s home runs were one in the first inning with a man on base and another in the seventh, with the bases clean, and he ended up going 2-for-4, with four RBIs and three runs scored, while Pérez and Ronald Acuña Jr. drove in one lap each to erase a 4-0 deficit.
Second baseman José Altuve left the game after being hit by a ball on his right hand. Major League Baseball reported that Altuve will be evaluated by the Astros and an update on his health will be given on Sunday.
The win went to David Bednar (1-0) with an inning of one hit and one run allowed, Arráez’s second home run. Brian Presley pitched the uneventful ninth for the save.
The defeat went to José Quijada (0-1) with three runs accepted in just a third of action,
For the USA, Turner hit a grandslam and pushed four. Kyle Tucker went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, two hits each and Mike Trout4-1, with scored.
After their victory, the USA face Cuba this Sunday, in a semifinal match to get a pass to the championship game.
22indisputable
They connected between the United States and Venezuela on Saturday.
16careers
The combined United States and Venezuela scored in yesterday’s match.
how they scored
The Americans wasted no time putting a number on the board. mookie betts opened with simple and Mike Trout he hit center, Betts advanced to third and with a deflected shot that went into the dead zone, he scored. Trout advanced to third on the throwing error.
A hard line drive to right field by Paul Goldschmidt scored Trout for a 2-0 lead before the Venezuelans even got the first out.
Nolan Arenado repeated the dose and moved the runner to third base, while Kyle Tucker added another hit that drove in Goldschmidt and Arenado moved to third. Tucker tried to reach second base, but was called out, after going to instant replay.
With that play, Martín Pérez came out of the game and José Ruiz came in to pitch, who struck out Tim Anderson for the second out of the inning and Kyle Schwarber popped out to left field to end the threat.
But the Venezuelans responded quickly in the bottom half, after a hit by José Altuve, Luis Arraez he hit a home run laser to right field that brought the game closer to 3-2.
The Americans attacked again in the fourth inning, when Betts’ sacrifice fly brought the Stars and Stripes team’s fourth run to the rubber.
And in the fifth, on a 1-1 count, Tucker homered to right field for his first home run of the tournament.
Daniel Bard came in to pitch for the USA in the fifth and awarded a walk to Gleyber Torres. Andrés Giménez followed with a single to third base. With a wild pitch, the runners both moved into scoring position and the bases were loaded with a pitch to José Altuve’s left hand, who had to go out of play.
Bard’s wildness continued with another wild pitch that allowed Torres to score and Gimenez moved to third. Anthony Santander receives a ticket and they take out Bard. Jason Adam comes in to throw and retires Arraez for the 46, but scores the fourth Venezuelan run.
Salvador Pérez then connects a strong line to the left field that tows in the third run of the episode for the Latin Americans, who wasted no time in going up with a sacrifice fly from Ronald Acuña Jr.
But in the ninth, Turner found the bases loaded and knocked the ball out of the park from Silvino Bracho who had replaced José Quijada.
