Watch Blue Jays Reliever Silence Dominican Lineup in WBC Semifinal
The World Baseball Classic is quickly coming to a close, but Team USA is still alive after taking down the Dominican Republic in a pitching showdown in the semi-finals. The home country held the Dominicans to a measly run after putting up 51 in the five games prior.
The pitching staff for the U.S. stepped up in a big way, which started with Paul Skenes , but the bullpen took over in the bottom of the fifth when the Toronto Blue Jays' newest face to the bullpen, Tyler Rogers, was called upon with two runners on base and one out.
Again, the D.R. has a monster-hitting lineup that includes another Blue Jay, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. , playing alongside Juan Soto , Ketel Marte , and Manny Machado . When Rogers came out of the pen, it was Soto who was up to bat.
Not only did Rogers induce a double play to end the inning without a run scored, but he also only had to throw two balls to do it. He threw a pair of sinkers, and the second one bounced in the dirt to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Marte out at second, and Soto out at first. Back to the dugout the team went.
This was a huge moment in this win-or-go-home showdown between the two great countries. The D.R. had more hits than the U.S., and also struck the team out 15 times, but it wasn't enough as the pitching staff came through down the stretch.
Other Blue Jays WBC Highlights
Toronto has a very impressive roster right now, so it isn't surprising that there are multiple players who were representing their countries in this tournament, but a few have done better than others, including Guerrero Jr. and Ernie Clement.
Vladdy was incredible for the D.R. as he batted .444 to complement an unfathomable .944 slugging percentage. He came through on multiple occasions for his team, including a blistering double down the line in their final game. Once again, a time with a pair of runners left in scoring position that didn't cross home plate.
Clement didn't suit up in their semi-finals matchup, but he put on a clinic in their second game of the tournament against Great Britain. The US went on a 9-0 run in a big fifth inning, scoring more than half of their runs. By the time the game was over, Clement had scored three of the nine runs, drawn a walk, stolen a base, and hit a single.
It is hard to imagine the excitement that is growing inside the Blue Jays' clubhouse with the roster that they have put together for this upcoming season. The core of their team is excelling, and that includes their new closer.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/onsi as Watch Blue Jays Reliever Silence Dominican Lineup in WBC Semifinal .
