MIAMI — Trea Turner hit a go-ahead grand slam within the eighth inning that lifted the USA over Venezuela 9-7 Saturday night and into the World Baseball Classic semifinals.
The defending champion Team USA will face Cuba on Sunday night for a spot within the WBC championship.
Venezuela second baseman and Houston Astros star Jose Altuve left the sport within the fifth with a right hand injury after he was hit by a pitch from Daniel Bard.
The Astros said there can be an update on his status Sunday.
Trailing 7-5, the USA loaded the bases within the eighth on a walk, single and hit by pitch against losing pitcher Jose Quijada.
Silvino Bracho relieved after which Turner, the ninth batter within the U.S. lineup, sent his 0-2 changeup 407 feet to deep left field for the third grand slam in Team USA history.
David Bednar, the fifth U.S. pitcher, got the win. Ryan Pressly got three outs for the save.
Luis Arraez, playing the ballpark that he’ll soon call home with the Miami Marlins, hit two home runs for Venezuela.
The U.S. team boasts a roster of huge names that many picked to repeat as WBC champions.
All nine batters in Team USA’s lineup are all-stars, including Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.
The USA is in the highest six within the tournament in batting average (.296), RBIs (34) and hits (48), and each U.S. starter had a success Saturday night.
Venezuela took a 6-5 lead in a four-run fifth after Ronald Acuña Jr.’s sacrifice fly to deep center field.
Salvador Perez drove within the tying run with a line-drive double that sneaked just contained in the left-field foul line.
Arraez hit a two-run drive to right field in the primary, his first home run in his recent home park, and added one other within the seventh to provide Venezuela a two-run lead. Arraez, the reigning AL batting champion, was traded to the WBC host Miami Marlins this offseason after 4 seasons in Minnesota.
Bard replaced starter U.S. starter Lance Lynn with a three-run lead within the fifth and loaded the bases with two walks, an infield hit and a success by pitch that injured Altuve.
Bard was pulled after Gleyber Torres scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3. Venezuela added its last three runs against Jason Adam, who managed to get out of the inning in 10 pitches.
Team USA hit five straight singles to start out the sport. Betts led off the primary with an infield single, then the speedster raced from first to 3rd on Trout’s single, forcing a throwing error by Acuña to attain.
Kyle Tucker also hit a homer for the U.S.
