Felix, Smyly both brilliant, U.S. rallies past Venezuela in WBC
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 15, 2017
SAN DIEGO — Hometown favorite Adam Jones hit a tying home run leading off the eighth inning and Eric Hosmer added a two-run shot three batters later as the United States rallied to beat Venezuela 4-2 on Wednesday night in the second round of the World Baseball Classic.
After being shut down for the first five innings by Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, the Americans broke through against Venezuela’s bullpen.
Hosmer, the MVP of the 2016 All-Star Game at Petco Park, singled leading off the seventh and scored on Jonathan Lucroy’s sacrifice fly.
Hector Rondon (0-1) started the eighth for Venezuela and Jones, who played at Morse High about 8 miles east of Petco Park, homered to right-center to tie it at 2. Christian Yelich singled and Nolan Arenado flied out before Hosmer muscled a shot an estimated 418 feet to right-center for the lead.
Hosmer hit a solo homer and an RBI single in the American League’s 4-2 win at the 2016 All-Star Game in San Diego.
Another Mariners starter, Drew Smyly, was mostly brilliant for the United States. He allowed one unearned run in 42⁄3 innings and struck out eight with no walks.
Luke Gregerson of the Houston Astros, who played his first five big league seasons with the San Diego Padres, pitched the ninth for the save.
Pat Neshek (1-0), who had a brief stint with the Padres in 2011, worked the eighth for the win.
Hernandez scattered three singles, struck out three and walked none.
King Felix made it through two heart-stopping moments in the first. He appeared to tweak something in his right leg while fielding Jones’ swinging bunt and throwing him out for the second out. After being checked by a trainer and throwing two warmup pitches, Hernandez stayed in the game. Yelich then hit a comebacker that knocked Hernandez’s glove off. With a befuddled look on his face, the pitcher picked up the ball and threw out Yelich to end the inning.
The Americans threatened only once against Hernandez, and failed to come through. He allowed three straight singles to Lucroy, Alex Bregman and Ian Kinsler with one out in the third before Jones grounded into a double play.
Netherlands 14, Cuba 1
TOKYO — Former Major Leaguer Wladimir Balentien homered twice and drove in five runs as the Netherlands overpowered Cuba 14-1 in seven innings at the World Baseball Classic.
Balentien, who plays in Japan for the Yakult Swallows, hit a three-run homer in the first inning and added a solo blast in the third as the Netherlands jumped out to a 7-0 lead.
The Netherlands improved to 2-1 in Pool E and will advance directly to next week’s semifinals in Los Angeles.
Japan 8, Israel 3
TOKYO — Yoshitomo Tsutsugo sparked a five-run sixth inning with a solo home run to lead Japan over Israel 8-3 Wednesday and into the championship round of the World Baseball Classic.
With a perfect 6-0 record through the first two rounds, two-time champion Japan advances from Pool E. Israel and Cuba were eliminated.
Tsutsugo connected off Israel reliever Dylan Axelrod with blast to deep center field. Nobuhiro Matsuda doubled in a run to make it 2-0 and Seiji Kobayashi, Nori Aoki and Ryosuke Kikuchi all added RBI hits to widen the lead.
