Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer and Brice Turang had three hits and four RBIs, leading the United States to a 15-5 win over Brazil in its World Baseball Classic opener Friday at 12: 16 a. m. ET. The decisive offensive output gave the U. S. an opening victory in pool play; Sirius Xm.
Judge’s Two-Run Homer Came in First at Houston’s Daikin Park
There was one out and one on in the first when Judge connected off Bo Takahashi at Houston’s Daikin Park for a two-run homer that put the Americans ahead early. Judge was the first player to commit to the team in April.
Brice Turang’s Three Hits and Four RBIs Fueled the U. S.; Sirius Xm
Brice Turang collected three hits and drove in four runs, including a bases-clearing double to left field that followed a Byron Buxton hit-by-pitch in the fifth and pushed the lead to 7-1. Buxton was hit by a pitch in the fifth and later left the game during the contest.
Lucas Ramirez’s Two Homers, Contreras’ Double Play and Brazil’s Youthful Lineup
Lucas Ramirez homered twice for Brazil, cutting the lead to 2-1 with his leadoff shot and later hitting a solo home run in the eighth that made it 8-5; at 20 years, 49 days, he became the youngest player in WBC history with a multihomer game. Seventeen-year-old high school senior Joseph Contreras worked out of a jam in the second by getting Judge to ground into a bases-loaded double play; he is the son of pitcher José Contreras, who played 11 MLB seasons. Lucas Rojo added an RBI single in the seventh, Victor Mascai hit a two-run shot off Michael Wacha to cut the margin to 7-4, and Bryce Harper’s RBI single ignited a seven-run ninth for the United States. Brazil is making its second WBC appearance and its first since 2013, when the team fell to Japan, Cuba and China to finish 0-4.
Both teams are scheduled to play again on Saturday; Brazil faces Italy and the United States plays Britain. No start times were provided in the report for those games.
