Trea Turner on Saturday hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning to lift the US over Venezuela 9-7 and into the World Baseball Classic (WBC) semi-finals.
The defending champions US were to face Cuba on Sunday night for a spot in the WBC final against Japan or Mexico, who are to play tomorrow morning Taiwan time.
St Louis Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright was to start for the US against Cuba.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Venezuela second baseman and Houston Astros star Jose Altuve left in the fifth inning with a right hand injury after he was hit by a pitch from Daniel Bard.
The Astros said they would issue an update on his status later yesterday.
Trailing 7-5, the US loaded the bases in the eighth on a walk, single and hit by pitch against losing pitcher Jose Quijada. Silvino Bracho relieved and Turner, the No. 9 batter in the US lineup, sent his 0-2 changeup 407 feet to deep left field for the third grand slam in US WBC history.
“Individually, I think this is probably the biggest hit that I’ve had ... probably right up there with any hit I’ve ever had,” Turner said.
US manager Mark DeRosa said the win was one of the three greatest games he has ever been a part of — including winning the World Series with the San Francisco Giants in 2010.
“I told the guys before the game, I wanted to match their passion,” said DeRosa, who once played for the Venezuelan professional team Leones del Caracas. “I had played over there. I had been a part of that, coming out of the dugout and jumping around... When Trea clipped that ball, honestly, I saw about 35 guys, including the coaches, kind of black out and lose their minds for a minute. So it was just an awesome moment.”
David Bednar, the fifth of seven US pitchers, secured the win and Ryan Pressly finished with three straight outs for the save.
Luis Arraez, who was playing in the ballpark he is soon to call home with the Miami Marlins, had the first multihomer game of his professional career and drove in four runs for Venezuela.
The US team boasts a roster of big names that many picked to repeat as WBC champions.
All nine batters in the US starting batting order were MLB All-Stars, including Los Angeles Dodgers right-fielder Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Angels center-fielder Mike Trout, Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and third baseman Nolan Arenado.
The US is in the top six in the tournament in batting average (.296), RBIs (34) and hits (48), and every US starter had a hit against Venezuela, which had gone 4-0 in group play.
“Unfortunately, this is baseball,” Venezuela manager Omar Lopez said. “We have to accept this, and as men we have to keep our heads up. It is not easy, especially when they came back in the game.”
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