Sports Writing, Mar 15 (EFE).- The United States, current champion of the World Baseball Classic, qualified this Wednesday for the quarterfinals of the fifth edition, an instance in which they will collide with Venezuela, defeating 3-2 Colombia at Chase Field in Phoenix (Arizona).
After many ups and downs in his four games, the 2017 champion has raised the value of his shares to dream again in 2023 with the conquest of the second title and thus equal Japan, who won the 2006 and 2009.
Americans and Colombians arrived today at the last game of the group stage with an identical and urgent need: ‘win or win’ to accompany Mexico, leader of C, at the request of the eight best.
With these conditions, a tense, nervous and highly calculated game was fought today that only unleashed the first emotions in the third inning, when the locals went ahead with a run in the upper part and the Andeans replied with two in their turn at bat. .
The Americans were beset by two outs on the board when Mookie Betts unleashed a thud that allowed him to reach first base. He then took advantage of a mistake by pitcher Santiago Flórez to take second. And the run came off on Mike Trout’s RBI single.
The Colombians equalized with a sacrifice fly by Gio Urshela for the ‘step and run’ of Óscar Mercado, who was at third base.
Seconds later Jorge Alfaro passed through the plate after a powerful fly ball driven by Reynaldo Roríguez.
But the master stroke from Mark DeRosa’s pupils came with two ‘little lines’ at the top of the fifth episode, and from then on the game could end as Jolbert Cabrera and his pupils found no arguments to alter the order of things.
Trout’s RBI single was taken advantage of by Will Smith and Betts, who were on third and second.
The 3 hour and 33 minute game was watched from the Chase Field stands by 29,500 fans.
Hours earlier, on the same stage, the Mexican team had sealed their visa to the quarterfinals by taking Canada out of circulation with a massive 10-3 victory, with which they closed their campaign in the group stage with three wins and one loss. (3-1).
The Stars and Stripes team finished their participation with a 3-1 balance, and left the coffee growers with a deficit record of 1-3.
The United States will meet Venezuela, the undefeated leader of Group D with four victories (4-0) this Saturday at the LoanDepot in Miami.
The same box will be used for this Friday’s clash between Mexico, leader of bracket C, and Puerto Rico, who finished second in bracket D after leaving one of the favorites for the title, the Dominican Republic, by the wayside.
