Joey Meneses with the Mexico National Team in the World Baseball Classic.
Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Mexico and the United States met in the World Baseball Classicwhich gave us one more duel between the best-known and most important rivals on the continent at Chase Field, and on this occasion, they was left in the hands of the ninth Mexican with a superb performance by Joey Meneseswith two home runs and five RBIs sparked the 11-5 victory.
The Aztec team did not hesitate and quickly took advantage in the duel, this due to what Meneses connected the ball and disappeared it through the center field in order to place the first two stripes for Mexico, by bringing Randy Arozarena to home plate, who was on first base, in the first inning.
However, the United States did not keep that first slap in the face, as Kyle Tucker hit a big drive to get to third base and then used Tim Anderson’s single to get to home plate. and place the first race of the American infield against Patrick Sandoval, but then he did not finish concretizing in the offense and it was 2-1 on the board.
But again Mexico responded in what was the third inning. Where Meneses opened the inning and reached first with a board to third base that he could not control to later lto manage to take the third after a lob by Rowdy Telléz that Jeff McNeil did not control.
With men on the corners, Esteban Paredes complicated McNeil again, who quickly threw to first, but didn’t connect with his teammate effectively and allowed Meneses to reach and place the 3-1 that took out Nick Martinez for the entry of Kendall Graveman; who got the last out to calm the waters.
Moments later, Randy Arozarena doubled to deep center field to bring up another run on the legs of Alek Thomas. Later in the same fourth inning, Meneses connected another home run with two on bases and brought the score to 7-1 in favor of the Mexican team.
In the seventh inning, Will Smith showed all his power and launched a powerful drive that went to the left field to put the second line for the United States team, the one that filled with hope, but quickly went out with the last out of the inning.
In addition, the hope of the United States collapsed at the beginning of the next entry, since leading off the eighth Arozarena hit the ball again and brought Austin Barnes to the register in order to add the eighth stripe for the Aztec team that did not stop his offensive power and scored two more.
For it, Jarren Duran, who entered as a pinch runner, and Arozarena came to the plate after a hit hit by Tellez.
However, Mexico got the 11 on the feet of Téllez, who with a single to right field accelerated from second base to reach home plate and add one more line to the Aztec team that celebrated with emotion and madness the beating it gave the United Statesninth that changed pitchers and Devin Williams, and thus ended inning number eight.
In the eighth inning, The United States again mounted an attack where Bobby Witt Jr. with a double brought in Cedric Mullinswho entered for Mike Trout, in order to place the score 11-3 with two men in circulationwhich later with two outs on the board became three.
And with a brace from Tim Anderson, Goldschmidt and Witt Jr. managed to step on home plate before Samuel Zazueta’s shipments to change the score 11-5 in favor of Mexico. However, Smith, who came to the plate again, delivered the last out of the inning for the peace of mind of the Mexicans.
In the ninth inning, struggling to face the first batter of the inning, Gerardo Reyes arrived as the person in charge of turning off the lights of the sports venue, something he ended up doing by retiring Mookie Betts, Mullins and Goldschmidt; hitters who flew the ball and gave up the last three outs of the game.
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