U.S. reaches WBC final; Altuve breaks thumb
Trea Turner is Captain America. A night after hitting a go-ahead grand slam in the quarterfinals, the 29-year-old smashed two more homers on Sunday night as Team USA dismantled Cuba, 14-2, in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic in Miami.
Turner was 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBI in the semi. The Americans will now wait on the winner of today’s semifinal between Mexico and Japan.
Forty-one-year-old Adam Wainwright started Team USA’s biggest game yet and, after working into a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the first inning, got out of the frame allowing just one run and limiting the damage to keep his club in the game.
The right-hander tossed four innings, allowing one run while recording one strikeout in what was likely his last career WBC appearance.
Wainwright wasn’t the only Cardinal having an impact on the game. Redbird sluggers Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado broke out the big lumber for Mark DeRosa’s squad.
Goldschmidt’s two-run home run in the bottom of the first gave the Americans a 2-1 lead and they never were threatened. The 36-year-old first baseman continued his strong tournament with a 2-for-4, 4 RBI performance. The 2022 NL MVP is slashing .350/.536/.550 for the red, white and blue.
ALTUVE NEEDS SURGERY
Astros star Jose Altuve has a broken right thumb and needs surgery after getting hit in Venezuela’s 9-7 quarterfinal loss to the United States at the World Baseball Classic Saturday night.
The Astros said Sunday they will announce a prognosis for the second baseman after the operation.
The eight-time All-Star and the 2017 American League MVP fell after he was struck by a 95.9 mph sinker from Colorado reliever Daniel Bard in the fifth inning Saturday night. Altuve grimaced as he walked off with an athletic trainer.
Altuve’s injury occurred three days after Mets All-Star closer Edwin Díaz sustained a season-ending knee injury during the postgame celebration of Puerto Rico’s 5-2 victory over the Dominican Republic. Díaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and underwent surgery on Thursday.
“It appears it could be a while,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said.