The USA defeated Colombia and advanced to the second round.
The United States won 3-2 against Colombia in Group C in the first round of the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona on the 16th (Korean time).
Mookie Betts (right fielder) – Mike Trout (center fielder) – Paul Goldschmidt (1st baseman) – Nolan Arenado (3rd baseman) – Pete Alonso (DH) – Kyle Schwaber (left fielder) – Tim Anderson (2nd baseman) ), Will Smith (catcher), and Trey Turner (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Merrill Kelly.안전놀이터
Colombia: Oscar Mercado (center fielder) – Herold Ramirez (right fielder) – Gio Urcella (3rd baseman) – Jorge Alfaro (catcher) – Reinaldo Rodriguez (1st baseman) – Maybris Viloria (DH) – Jejus Maria Ga (left fielder) – Fabian Pertus (second baseman) – Dayan Frias (shortstop) scrambled. The starting pitcher was Luis de Avila.
American starter Kelly is a familiar face to KBO league fans. He joined SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) in 2015 and played an active part for four seasons. He went 48-32 with a 3.86 earned run average in 729⅔ innings in 119 career games (118 starts). After that, he joined the Arizona Diamondbacks and recorded an average ERA of 3.96 in 573 innings with 36 wins and 35 losses in 97 games.
Kelly, who treated the first inning as a tripartite offense, was put in the first crisis at the end of the second inning. After Alfaro walked, Viloria hit. Then, Mariaga walked out with a walk, and the bases were loaded with one out. However, Kelly overcame the crisis by handling Pertus with a fly ball and Frias with a ground ball in front of the first baseman.
But Kelly faltered in the bottom of the third. He allowed a double to leadoff hitter Mercado. Ramirez’s base hit and Ursela’s sacrifice fly followed, and Mercado stepped on the home base. He continued to be attacked by Colombia’s lineup. He allowed an infield hit to Alfaro and a timely double to Rodriguez that hit the center fence to turn the game around.
Kelly allowed 2 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits in 3 innings, walking 2 and striking out 1. On the other line, Trout played a big role. Trout was responsible for all the runs in the United States with 3 hits and 3 RBIs in 4 at-bats.
The U.S. scored first in the top of the third inning. After Betts hit after two outs, Santiago Florez’s wild throw advanced to second base. Then, Trout’s 1st time RBI hit.
The U.S. managed to turn around in the top of the 5th inning, trailing 1-2. Leading batter Smith went to base with a walk and then went to second base with a wild throw. With Betts’ hit, it became 1 out, 2nd and 3rd base. Trout didn’t miss the opportunity. He scored two RBIs and a timely hit that fell in front of the left fielder.
In the U.S., Daniel Bard, David Bedner, Jason Adam, Devin Williams, and Ryan Presley took the mound in turn and were responsible for one inning each. They maintained a 3-2, one-point lead and succeeded in advancing to the quarterfinals.