Captain Mike Trout drove in all three runs on Wednesday as the US defeated Colombia 3-2 to book their place in the quarter-finals at the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Trout — one of the figureheads of a star-studded US lineup — knocked in singles in the third and fifth innings to send the US into the last eight.
The US, who have recovered after being upset by Mexico in their second game in Pool C on Sunday, face Venezuela in Miami today with a semi-final showdown with Cuba awaiting the winner.
Photo: AFP
Colombia, needing a big win over the hosts to have any chance of progressing, raised the prospect of an upset after Reynaldo Rodriguez doubled to score Jorge Alfaro for a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third.
However, Trout singled in the fifth inning to score Los Angeles Dodgers duo Will Smith and Mookie Betts, and put the US 3-2 ahead.
Closer Ryan Pressly then got the save in the ninth inning to wrap up the win.
US manager Mark DeRosa lavished praise on Trout.
“I see one of the best players of all time,” DeRosa said of Trout. “The way he’s able to swing the baseball bat ... it was a huge knock for us. Couldn’t be happier for him.”
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Venezuela completed their perfect pool-stage campaign with a 5-1 win over Israel in Pool D in Miami.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
RSS