Turner’s grand slam lifts US over Venezuela, into WBC semis
Trea Turner hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning that lifted the United States over Venezuela 9-7 Saturday night and into the World Baseball Classic semifinals.
The defending champion U.S. faced Cuba on Sunday night for a spot in the WBC final against Japan or Mexico. St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright started for the U.S. against Cuba.
Venezuela second baseman and Houston Astros star Jose Altuve left in the fifth with a right hand injury after he was hit by a pitch from Daniel Bard. The Astros said there will be an update on his status Sunday.
Trailing 7-5, the United States 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 U.S. lineup, sent his 0-2 changeup 407 feet to deep left field for the third grand slam in American 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.
U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said Saturday’s win was one of the three greatest game’s he’s 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 U.S. pitchers, got the win and Ryan Pressly finished with three straight outs for the save.
Luis Arraez, playing the
ballpark that he’ll soon call home with the Miami Marlins, had the first multihomer game of his professional career and drove in four runs for Venezuela.
The U.S. team boasts a roster of big names that many picked to repeat as WBC champions.
All nine batters
in the
U.S. starting batting order were 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 U.S. is in the top six in the tournament in batting average (.296), RBIs (34) and hits (48), and every American starter had a hit against Venezuela, which had gone 4-0 in group play.
Venezuela took a 6-5 lead in a four-run fifth after Ronald Acuña Jr.’s sacrifice fly to deep center.
Salvador Perez drove in the tying run with a linedrive double that sneaked just inside the left-field foul line.
Arraez hit a two-run drive to right field in the first off Lance Lynn, his first home run in his new home park, and added another high off the right field foul pole in the seventh against Bednar to give Venezuela a two-run lead. Bard was pulled after Gleyber Torres scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3 and Arraez hit an RBI groundout against Jason Adam.
Kyle Tucker homered for the U.S. in the fifth.