Team USA vanquished the Dominican Republic. The defending champions, Japan, already had been dismissed.
So … congratulations to the United States for winning the World Baseball Classic?
Not so fast, and certainly not based on Sunday’s tense but hardly crisp 2-1 victory in which the U.S. eliminated the Dominican Republic.
“That was high-level baseball at its finest,” U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said.
High-level baseball, no doubt. It was the heavyweight match, the WBC game everyone wanted to see.
At its finest, well, the Americans better hope not.
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U.S. batters struck out 15 times, walked once, and went hitless with runners in scoring position. None of their final 13 batters got a hit.
Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony each hit solo home runs in the fourth inning, and five relievers shut out the Dominican over the final 4⅔ innings.
That guaranteed the U.S. a spot in Tuesday’s championship game, against the winner of Monday’s game between Italy and Venezuela.
Can the Venezuelans beat the U.S.? They eliminated Japan, their leadoff batter is Ronald Acuna Jr., and they are outslugging the U.S.
Can the Italians beat the U.S.? They already did, in pool play. They have hit more home runs than the U.S., in fewer games. They would have Aaron Nola lined up to start.
Tuesday’s starter for Team USA: New York Mets rookie Nolan McLean. He was the losing pitcher in the Italy defeat, giving up three runs — including two home runs — in three innings.
You never know: The difference in Sunday’s game was billed as Paul Skenes.
“You can make the argument he is the best pitcher in the game,” DeRosa said. The other candidate, according to DeRosa: Tarik Skubal, who could have been in line to start the championship game but opted out of the WBC after one appearance.
Skenes breezed through the first inning in nine pitches and the first three in 38, dented only by a Junior Caminero home run.
Before the game, Dominican manager Albert Pujols said facing an All-Star lineup is one thing in the All-Star Game, quite another in a game that counts and a pitcher faces batters more than once. Skenes has started two All-Star games and pitched one inning each time.
Sure enough, Skenes required 33 pitches to get his final four outs, saved throughout his outing by repeated defensive brilliance: from right fielder Aaron Judge, from shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., from second baseman Brice Turang and from third baseman Henderson.
“Toughest lineup I’ve ever faced, for sure,” Skenes said. “I’m sure they would probably say the same thing about facing us.”
Credit to the Dominican, of course, for a lineup that started with Fernando Tatis Jr., with a heart of Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Manny Machado, and with shortstop Gerardo Perdomo batting ninth. Perdomo led National League position players in WAR last season, according to Baseball Reference.
The tough U.S. lineup? On paper, sure. In the past four WBC games — after routs of Brazil and Britain — the U.S. has scored more than five runs once and has a two-run win, a two-run loss, a two-run win and a one-run win.
“I’m still waiting for our offense to explode,” DeRosa said.
Said Henderson: “We haven’t played our complete game yet.”
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The most valuable player for the U.S. might be closer Mason Miller, who earned the save Sunday. Miller has faced 14 batters in the WBC, allowing no hits and striking out 10.
Because this is the WBC, DeRosa has to consult with Miller’s employers, the San Diego Padres, to determine whether Miller can pitch for a third time in five days in the world championship, should the U.S. need him.
DeRosa called Sunday’s game “a game we’ll remember forever” and, given the hype, why not?
The Americans are the favorites Tuesday, no matter who they play. However, if the U.S. bats do not rouse from their slumber, the championship game will be a game the Americans curse forever.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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