Team USA Game Notes
Team USA vs. Venezuela Live Stats
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – With a potential berth in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games at stake, the USA Baseball Professional National Team will conclude play at the 2021 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Baseball Americas Qualification Event for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020 with a 7 p.m. (ET) matchup Saturday against Venezuela at Clover Park.
LHP Matthew Liberatore (1-0, 1.80 ERA) draws the starting mound assignment for Team USA, tossing 5.0 solid innings in his AOQ debut vs. Nicaragua on Monday. The left-hander combined with three relievers combined to limit the Nicaragua offense to one run on five hits in the 7-1 U.S. victory.
Last night, the U.S. moved to within one victory of securing a berth in the Tokyo Olympic Games with a 10-1 victory over Canada. Luke Williams belted the go-ahead home run in the fifth inning, then doubled home two more U.S. runs as part of Team USA's back-breaking seven-run explosion in the eighth that turned a 3-1 lead into a nine-run bulge for the stars and stripes.
With the victory, the U.S. remained perfect in the 2021 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Baseball Americas Qualification Event. As the tournament's lone 2-0 team in the decisive Super Round, Team USA can qualify for one of the two remaining spots in the Tokyo Olympics with a victory over Venezuela this evening.
The U.S. Professional National Team brings a slim 9-8 all-time series edge over Venezuela into Saturday's contest. In the two squads' last meeting, Venezuela carried a two-run lead into the bottom of the seventh inning before Team USA rallied for a 4-2 win in the second round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic on March 15, 2017 at Marlins Park. Drew Smyly allowed just one run over 4.2 innings, but Rougned Odor’s solo homer in the seventh gave Venezuela a late 2-0 lead. Team USA then tagged Hector Rondón for a run in the bottom of the inning before Adam Jones hit a game-tying solo homer in the bottom of the eighth. Eric Hosmer followed that with a go-ahead two-run homerun and Luke Gregerson shut the door in the ninth to clinch the victory in the first game of the second round.
Team USA has two more chances to qualify for Tokyo 2020, beginning with the Baseball Americas Qualifier. The U.S. has participated at the Olympic Games in 1988 (demonstration sport), 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008, winning a gold medal in Seoul 1988 and Sydney 2000. In order to qualify for the Olympic Games from the Baseball Americas Qualifier, the U.S. will need to win the tournament. If the U.S. does not qualify for the Olympic Games out of the Baseball Americas Qualifier, but finishes second or third, they will participate in the Final Qualifier that will take place in Puebla, Mexico from June 22-27.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will mark the first time baseball has been featured in the Games since 2008 in Beijing, where Team USA won the bronze medal.
Stay tuned to USABaseball.com for all of the latest news, previews and recaps from the WBSC AOQ.
