NEW YORK– We’ve reached the crash course of sudden death territory in the World Baseball Classic. Team USA and Team Venezuela meet tonight Saturday March 18th at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida with the winner advancing to the WBC Semifinals – first pitch at 7:00pm ET with the broadcast on FOX.
Team USA, led by manager Mark DeRosa has opted to start Chicago White Sox Lance Lynn while Team Venezuela and skipper Omar López go with Texas Rangers left-hander Martín Pérez.
Lynn, the 35-year-old right-hander, known as a ‘workhorse’ and ‘bulldog,’ pitched this past Monday against Team Canada, allowing one run on two hits across five innings. He is anticipating an atmosphere unlike no other, however; at the end of the day, it’s all the same game.
Lance Lynn – Image Credit: World Baseball Classic/MLB
“Things like this is the reason you play the game,” Lynn said. “So when we get opportunities like this, you got to enjoy them, and relish ’em. The atmosphere is going to be fun. I think that’s going to be the most enjoyable part.”
He added: “When you watch our team play you’re like, ‘man, I wouldn’t want to go through that’. Then you look at these guys and they’re the same. You’re like, ‘okay, that’s not going to be fun.’”
On Venezuela’s front, Martín Pérez will take the mound with the hopes of sending his country to their second WBC Semifinal in tournament history. Though the 32-year-old has previously pitched in MLB postseasons with the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers, I’d consider Saturday night one of the biggest outings in his career.
Rather than overthinking, Pérez, like many of his teammates are enjoying the WBC and what it has to offer in representing Venezuela on the front of their uniforms.
“They have a lot of things and they make a lot of noise in the stands,” Pérez noted about the crowds and Venezuelan support. “I think this is different baseball than what we see everyday during the regular season. It’s fun, we have to enjoy this time.”
Martín Pérez – Image Credit: Latino Sports
“We’re never gonna forget these kinds of moments because not everybody has a chance to represent their country, but we’re gonna do it. And if we’re gonna do it, we’re gonna do it right.”
Last Saturday in Venezuela’s opening WBC game against the Dominican Republic, Pérez struck out four batters and allowed one run on four hits over 3.1 innings.
Venezuela’s Ace. 🇻🇪 pic.twitter.com/dFF0z42TL5
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) March 12, 2023
In their respective Pool play, USA-Venezuela combined for a 7-1 overall record. To go deeper, provided below are their numbers on offense.
Team USA – Offense
Runs Scored: 26
Home Runs: 2
Hits: 34
Team USA goes back on top thanks to @MikeTrout…again. #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/cnatflbjKb
— MLB (@MLB) March 16, 2023
Team Venezuela – Offense
Runs Scored: 23
Home Runs: 6
Hits: 39
.@ronaldacunajr24 and Team Venezuela are on the board early! 🇻🇪 #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/o3C3JWwgHQ
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 15, 2023
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, USA (-150) is favored to defeat Venezuela with the total projected at O/U 9.5. The winner of Saturday’s Quarterfinal will advance to the WBC Semifinal Round and face Cuba on Sunday evening March 19th at 7:00pm ET on Fox Sports 1 (FS1).
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Robert Rizzo is a journalist and co-editor of Latino Sports
Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com
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