USA v Venezuela: World Baseball Classic quarter-finals – live! | World Baseball Classic

Seventh inning stretch

I first was going to say I had no idea that Carly Simon did a version of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” but I’m sure that if I did there was a 99.9% chance that someone would dig up an instance where I linked to this very clip in a previous Guardian baseball liveblog.

USA 5-6 Venezuela, top 7th inning

José Quijada is the new pitcher, he falls behind Tucker 2-0, but gets a called strike on his third pitch. 2-1. He fouls off the next. 2-2. And the next. 2-2. He takes a ball on the high corner. 3-2. Tucker swings and fouls off the next pitch and gets a piece of the catcher’s hand. Oof.

Still 3-2. On the next pitch, Tucker is called out on strikes to end the inning! A huge out there! To the seventh-inning stretch!

USA 5-6 Venezuela, top 7th inning

Arenado falls behind 0-2, the crowd gets loud trying to urge a strikeout. Instead, Arenado hits a single and it’s runners on the corners! Still two outs. Venezuela goes to the bullpen after Hernandez allows back-to-back singles.

A key moment here obviously.

USA 5-6 Venezuela, top 7th inning

Goldschmidt with a solid single? US rally starts here?

USA 5-6 Venezuela, top 7th inning

Mike Trout is up here. He takes a strike. Even though it feels worse, it should be noted that this is just a one-run game. This is not insurmountable. This is the definition of surmountable. Super-surmountable.

Trout takes three straight balls and then swings and misses at 3-1. Full count. Hernandez gets him to swing and miss! A huge out there! Two out in the inning!

USA 5-6 Venezuela, top 7th inning

There’s actually a new pitcher for Venezuela! Carlos Henandez will be throwing to Mookie Betts to start the seventh.

He falls behind 2-0 but gets Betts to look at a strike and then foul off another offering. 2-2. Betts looks at ball three. 3-2. Betts fouls the next pitch off and then pops one up. One down.

Email from John Fleckles:

When it comes to baseball I admit I’m a nationalist and it really pisses me off that against Mexico and Venezuela there are either more fans from those two countries or else they are more passionate than Americans about the game. Shame on us.

It definitely feels like the rest of the world has embraced the World Baseball Classic in a way that we haven’t. Whatever it says about baseball in this country, it certainly isn’t great.

USA 5-6 Venezuela, bottom 6th inning

Ottavino strikes out Torres on a beauty of a breaking ball that moves out of the zone as the batter swings. On the next pitch, Giménez grounds out so quickly that I don’t even have time to create a new block of text.

USA 5-6 Venezuela, bottom 6th inning

Adam Ottavino is pitching for the US, facing Suárez. He gets him to strike out.

Email from Joel Eley:

Hi Hunter,

This game feels like it is going to be tight to the end and a crazy play will end it. Walk off HR for Venezuela from my man Santander or diving superman catch bt Betts for the last out. Final score 12-11 either way.

Definitely feels like the current score isn’t going to be the final, at the very least.

USA 5-6 Venezuela, top 6th inning

Trea Turner gets rung up by the umpire on a called third strike and that was a relatively brief top of the sixth. García’s the MVP of this game if Venezuela holds on.

USA 5-6 Venezuela, top 6th inning

Realmuto hits one to right field but that one also finds a fielder’s glove for an out.

USA 5-6 Venezuela, top 6th inning

García is back up for another inning, facing Schwarber. On a 2-2 pitch, Schwarber gets a good swing on a ball but not to a place in the stadium where it will get out. It’s just a long flyball out.

I’m going to be honest: if USA loses there have to be some questions about DeRosa sticking with Daniel Bard that long last inning when it was immediately clear that he didn’t have his command and we all know what kind of pitcher he is when that happens.

USA 5-6 Venezuela, bottom 5th inning

Peralta grounds out to end the inning but that’s a huge inning for Venezuela who are now in front for the first time today!

Sacrifice fly! (Ronald Acuña Jr, USA 5-6 Venezuela)

RBI single! (Salvador Perez, USA 5-5 Venezuela)

Run-scoring fielder’s choice! (Arráez, USA 5-4 Venezuela)

Honestly just hope that this doesn’t mean that whatever mental issues kept Bard out of the major leagues for an extended time have returned. His comeback was an all-time great baseball story. Maybe it was just a bad outing.

USA 5-3 Venezuela, bottom 5th inning

After all that, Santander walks and USA coach Mark DeRosa relieves Bard. He should probably have done that earlier. The bases are still loaded and there are still no outs.

Runner scores on wild pitch! (USA 5-3 Venezuela)

USA 5-2 Venezuela, bottom 5th inning

Can’t imagine Bard is going to have a huge leash here if he doesn’t have his command. He’s very Jeckyll-and-Hyde. He gets Altuve in a 1-2 count.

Ouch. Bard’s next pitch hits Altuve and the bases are loaded. This is hard to watch given his history, hope this doesn’t mean his command issues are making a return. Bases are loaded with nobody out. Altuve heads to the dugout, hurt.

USA 5-2 Venezuela, bottom 5th inning

Bard’s pitch to Altuve gets away from Realmuto and yeah, once again, this is bringing back all sorts of bad memories and runners move up to second and third.

USA 5-2 Venezuela, bottom 5th inning

Giménez just sort of taps in an infield hit and there are runners on first and second with nobody out for Venezuela. This feels like a good rally opportunity if they can take advantage.

USA 5-2 Venezuela, bottom 5th inning

Daniel Bard, who I honestly can not believe returned to the majors after he flamed out with the Boston Red Sox, is the next pitcher for Team USA.

He walks Torres on five pitches, which is about what I remember from his Boston days.

USA 5-2 Venezuela, top 5th inning

Tim Anderson strikes out swinging, but the US has padded their lead thanks to a Kyle Tucker solo homer. We’re halfway through regulation here!

Home run! (Kyle Tucker, USA 5-2 Venezuela)

USA 4-2 Venezuela, top 5th inning

Arenado is up next, he falls behind 0-2 right off the bat. Is that an unmixed metaphor? He then hits a long foul before meekly grounding out to first base.

USA 4-2 Venezuela, top 5th inning

García is still pitching for Venezuela, here he’s facing Goldschmidt again. It looks like he’s going to hit a double to leftfield but Peralta makes a diving catch to rob him. Yowzers!

USA 4-2 Venezuela, bottom 4th inning

This could be Lynn’s last hitter and Suárez is not going to make it easy on him. He builds up a full count but finally gets him to strike out to end the fourth inning.

USA 4-2 Venezuela, bottom 4th inning

Peralta hits a single and Venezuela has a base runner with two outs.

USA 4-2 Venezuela, bottom 4th inning

Acuña grounds out to shortstop.

USA 4-2 Venezuela, bottom 4th inning

Salvador Perez promptly grounds out to start the bottom of the fourth.

It is in Major League Baseball, but the WBC is still operating under 2022 rules. So, if you’re a hardcore fan of defensive infield shifts, you should cherish every remaining WBC game.

USA 4-2 Venezuela, top 4th inning

Trout is up next, with two out and a runner still on second. He works a solid at-bat, seeing eight pitches before hitting a line drive right into a fielder’s glove to end the inning.

Sacrifice fly! (Mookie Betts, USA 4-2 Venezuela)

USA 3-2 Venezuela, top 4th inning

Turner grounds out to short but so quickly that Schwarber at third can’t score. Solid break for Venezuela there.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, top 4th inning

Realmuto hits a hot shot to Altuve that should be an out but he throws a bit too quickly and the results are runners on second and third with nobody out.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, top 4th inning

Schwarber is up next, he hits a base hit against the shift against García.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, bottom 3rd inning

Arráez is up now. he skies one to leftfield to end the inning.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, bottom 3rd inning

Santander, who has my favorite last name on either roster, is up. He immediately flies out for the second out of the inning.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, bottom 3rd inning

Altuve is up next with a runner on first. He gets ahead 2-0, then takes a strike. 2-1. He takes a ball. 3-1. Fouls one off. 3-2. Fouls off another one. 3-2 still. He then grounds out, but Giménez does advance to second on the out.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, bottom 3rd inning

Andrés Giménez is up for Venezuela against Lance Lynn. USA might have the advantage here with their starter actually having gotten more than one out. Giménez works a full count and takes a ball in the dirt. Leadoff walk for Venezuela.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, top 3rd inning

Tim Anderson is up and he grounds out to end the inning. It would be hilarious if this ends up being a 3-2 game and everything was already decided in the first inning.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, top 3rd inning

Kyle Tucker hits a double and it doesn’t look like this one will be overturned.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, top 3rd inning

Arenado hits a foul home run for strike one. Then he swings and connects only with air. The pitcher Luis García gets Arenado to hit a ground ball to shortstop and, after some discussion, he’s called out at first for the second out of the inning.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, top 3rd inning

New pitcher Luis García is facing Goldschmidt. The announcers are now bringing up WBC historical statistics, I can’t believe those are things now. I feel so old.

He strikes out on a 2-2 pitch. A shot of Ken Griffey Jr, a coach for USA, makes me feel even older.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, bottom 2nd inning

Torres strikes out and, honestly, I’m still a little bewildered that they overturned that double on replay. Might be something to note should Venezuela happen to lose by one run today.

USA 3-2 Venezuela, bottom 2nd inning

Never mind, on replay Suárez is called out on second. So there are two down and bases empty for Gleyber Torres. Both teams have now already used their challenges.