World Baseball Classic: USA will face Cuba in the semifinal

(Reuters) — Trea Turner hit the home run that set up the United States’ 9-7 win over Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals on Saturday night in Miami.

The American team will play Cuba in the semifinals on Sunday night in Miami.

Tim Anderson walked, Pete Alonso singled and JT Realmuto was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs to Turner, who subsequently sent a ball deep.

Adding to Turner’s feat, the Americans got a 3-for-5 performance from Kyle Tucker, who homered, doubled and singled while driving in two runs.

Luis Arraez of Venezuela, playing in what will be his new home stadium with the Miami Marlins this year, hit two home runs, drove in four runs and scored three.

José Altuve, one of Venezuela’s biggest stars, was hit by a pitch from Daniel Bard in the fifth inning. Altuve was immediately pulled from the game with an apparent right thumb injury.

Venezuelan starter Martín Pérez lasted just 16 pitches, allowing five hits and three runs.

Venezuela scored twice in the bottom of the first when Altuve hit a fastball on the first pitch for a single before scoring on Arraez’s home run to right.

The USA extended their lead to 4-2 in the fourth on Betts’s sacrifice fly.

In the fifth, Tucker homered off Astros teammate Luis Garcia, throwing his shot just inside the right-field foul pole. So far things were 5-2.

However, Venezuela took their first lead, 6-5, in the bottom of the fifth when Bard couldn’t find home plate. He faced four batters and walked two of them as well as hitting Altuve.

Reliever Jason Adam came on and allowed an RBI groundout, Salvador Pérez’s RBI double and Acuña’s sacrifice fly.

In the other semifinal, Mexico will face Japan on Monday, March 20 at 7 pm (Miami time).

Information from Field Level Media via Reuters