Jones, Hosmer power U.S. to 4-2 victory over Venezuela
Adam Jones hit a tying home run leading off the eighth inning and Eric Hosmer added a two-run shot three batters later as the United States rallied to beat Venezuela 4-2 on Wednesday night in a World Baseball Classic second-round game in San Diego.
After being shut down for the first five innings by Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, the Americans broke through against Venezuela’s bullpen.
Hosmer, the MVP of the 2016 All-Star Game at Petco Park, singled leading off the seventh and later scored on Jonathan Lucroy’s sacrifice fly.
Hector Rondon started the eighth for Venezuela, and Jones, who played at Morse High about 8 miles east of Petco Park, homered to right-center to tie it 2-2. Christian Yelich singled and Nolan Arenado flied out before Hosmer muscled a shot an estimated 418 feet to right-center for the lead.
Giants catcher Buster Posey and shortstop Brandon Crawford did not start for the United States. Crawford entered as a defensive subsitute in the ninth inning.
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo sparked a five-run sixth inning with a solo home run to lead Japan over Israel 8-3 in Tokyo and into the championship round. Twotime champion Japan (6-0) advances from Pool E along with the Netherlands, which beat Cuba 14-1 at Tokyo Dome. Israel and Cuba were eliminated.
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen said he will join the Netherlands in time for Monday’s championship round opener. Jansen, who had a career-high 47 saves in 2016, did not to compete with the team in first- and second-round pool play. Spring training: Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow singled twice and made a diving catch at the right-field warning track in his best day as a professional baseball player.
“I think I’ve had fun every game, genuinely, but I think this one, there was a lot of action,” Tebow said after the New York Mets’ 6-2 loss to the Miami Marlins in Jupiter, Fla. “When there’s a lot of action, that’s also fun. You like being involved.”
The 29-year-old, a former Heisman Trophy winner, reached in the second against starter Justin Nicolino with a grounder into the hole that shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria knocked down but couldn’t come up with. Tebow lined a single to left-center off Stephen Fife leading off the fifth, then slid into the wall in the bottom half to catch J.T. Realmuto’s drive to right. Tebow grounded out in the seventh, leaving him with a .214 average (3-for-14) in four games.
In other highlights, Dodgers right-hander Brandon McCarthy allowed three runs and five hits in 32⁄3 innings, including home runs by Ben Gamel and Leonys Martin, but Los Angeles beat the Mariners 12-7. Justin Turner and Trayce Thompson, brother of Warriors forward Klay Thompson, homered for the winners . ... Top White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada had two homers and three RBIs, and Avisail Garcia and Cody Asche also went deep for Chicago in a 7-3 win over the Royals . ... Kyle Freeland struck out five and gave up five hits in five scoreless innings in the Rockies’ 5-4 win over the Padres . ... Former Giants pitching prospect Adalberto Mejia, acquired in a trade for Eduardo Nuñez last year, struck out eight and walked none in 32⁄3 scoreless innings to help the Twins beat the Cardinals 8-0. Briefly: All-Star catcher Salvador Perez should be ready for Kansas City’s season opener after tests showed there was no structural damage to his injured left knee, but the Royals are still concerned about his hyperextended left elbow, which will keep him out another week. Perez hurt the knee in a homeplate collision in a WBC game. ... The Nationals unconditionally released catcher Derek Norris, who at one point appeared to be penciled in as Washington’s starting catcher . ... Diamondbacks left fielder Yasmany Tomas has a strained oblique, the Arizona Republic reported. There is no timeline for his return . ... The Yankees added former Angels closer Ernesto Frieri to the springtraining roster. Frieri pitched for Colombia in the WBC . ... The Red Sox said AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello will be their Opening Day starter against Pittsburgh.