Key events
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 5-3 Venezuela, bottom 5th inning
Luis Rengifo pinch runs for a relieved Altuve. During the at-bat, Torres scores on a wild pitch! Bard has completely unraveled here.
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 5-2 Venezuela, top 5th inning
Kyle Tucker is up next and on a 1-1 count he hits a solo home run that puts the US up three runs!
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 4-2 Venezuela, top 4th inning
Betts is up next with one out, runners on second and third. García gets ahead of him 0-2, maybe Venezuela can get out of this jam without a run. Betts fouls off the next pitch. Still 0-2. He hits a fly that’s just long enough to score Schwarber.
So no on that idea, I guess.
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.
