Team USA suffered a tragic defeat at the hands of heavy underdogs Venezuela in the championship of the World Baseball Classic. It’s the second straight silver medal for Team USA, and another one-run loss that will weigh heavily on the Americans and manager Mark DeRosa.
Of course, the players have to go out and get the job done on the field, but too often during the WBC, questions were raised about decisions made by DeRosa. It’s a shame that DeRosa is the main talking point at the conclusion of an instant classic game. Bryce Harper’s 8th-inning two-run homer should be written into American baseball lore, but sadly, that play is forgotten due to leaving Mason Miller on the bench in the 9th inning.
There was never going to be a save situation for Miller in this game. You had all the momentum after Harper’s home run in the 8th, why would you not immediately go to Miller in the 9th? You were facing the heart of Venezuela’s order with Luis Arraez, who was having an amazing WBC, and Eugenio Suárez, following right behind him. Suárez, a player coming off a 49-homer season the year prior.
Garrett Whitlock isn’t a bad player, but Mason Miller hadn’t given up an earned run since August 5th of last season. If Venezuela is shut out in the 9th, I’m not saying the US still wins, but they go into the bottom half of the 9th inning with a different mindset.
Kyle Schwarber presses and strikes out, Gunnar Henderson comes on to pinch hit in a game he probably should have started, and pops up in a bad AB. Finally, Roman Anthony struck out for the last out, giving Venezuela their first WBC gold medal.
To avoid putting all the blame on DeRosa, the USA lineup had a pathetic final few games. Bobby Whitt Jr., Aaron Judge, Alex Bregman, Roman Anthony, Will Smith, and Pete Crow-Armstrong going hitless in a winner-go-home final is unacceptable.
It’s not like they were facing prime Randy Johnson either. Here are the last season ERAs for Venezuela’s pitching staff in the championship.
Eduardo Rodríguez: 5.02 ERA
Eduard Bazardo: 2.52 ERA
José Buttó: 3.90 ERA
Angel Zerpa: 4.18 ERA
Andrés Machado: 2.28 ERA (in JPL)
Daniel Palencia: 2.91 ERA
It’s an absolute choke from the top down to not win this game. One last person who also deserves a tiny bit of blame. Tarik Skubal should’ve been starting over Nolan McLean, who had a solid enough outing. Skubal being too scared of getting hurt and still deciding to sit in the dugout for the finals is a joke.
Any goodwill he’s built up with fans has been entirely eroded by his attitude during the WBC. I’m sure that will only continue after he leaves Detroit to go get paid a billion dollars by the Dodgers.
