The flags, face paint and dining are in full swing as Team USA take on Venezuela in a star-studded affair at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Fla. on Saturday night.
Everything is at stake: the winner of the matchup meets Cuba in the semi-finals and gets the chance to take home the coveted championship trophy.
The WBC began on March 7 and will conclude on March 21 with the championship game (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, FS1) in Florida. The quarter-finals will take place on March 15-18, followed by the semi-finals on March 19-20.
Matches are broadcast on FOX, FS1, FS2 and can be streamed via the FOX Sports App. The full schedule can be found here.
These are the top plays from the game!
United States vs Venezuela
Hit ’em where they aren’t
The USA took an early 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI brace from captain Mike Trout. The American squad gained an extra base after a misplayed pitch left the field.
cute!
Few players have had a better record at the plate over the past 10 years than Paul Goldschmidt. The man they call “Goldy” walked with the pitch he was given and hit an RBI single into right field to drive Trout home.
And his captain was I love the start of the team.
station to station
The US traveled five straight hits together in the first inning, and Kyle Tucker fended off an infield to get at center for the team’s third run.
Tucker’s strike forced Venezuelan starting pitcher Martín Pérez from what is happening.
Two on the board
Venezuela got back two runs when Luis Arráez lost yards in the bottom half of his own inning. And the stadium was electrified after the big explosion.
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Venezuela’s Luis Arraez hit a homer from two runs on his home field to cut the deficit 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic against the USA.
give yourself up
Despite Venezuela’s best efforts fend off his opponent After allowing multiple baserunners, Mookie Betts thwarted their plight by shoving a ball into midfield just far enough to bring in Kyle Schwarber and extend Team USA’s lead to 4-2.
Swing for the fences
Despite several dazzling plays defense from Venezuela, Team USA kept their foot on the gas and extended their lead with their first homer, this time without Tucker’s bat.
Stay tuned for updates!
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