Joey Meneses hits a two-run residence run within the first inning for Mexico in its World Baseball Classic recreation in opposition to the U.S. at Chase Field in Phoenix. Meneses hit a three-run residence run within the fourth inning. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
Team USA was pummeled by the Meneses Mauler on Sunday evening, Washington Nationals slugger Joey Meneses crushing two homers and driving in 5 runs to guide Mexico to an 11-5 World Baseball Classic victory earlier than a raucous sellout crowd of 47,534 at Chase Field.
Meneses, a 30-year-old journeyman who performed 10 years within the minor leagues and 10 winter-ball seasons in Mexico earlier than his breakout 2022 season with the Nationals, despatched a 109-mph screamer of a line drive into the left-field seats off San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Martinez for a two-run homer within the first inning.
Meneses reached on an infield single and scored within the third inning for a 3-1 lead. The first baseman then adopted Randy Arozarena’s RBI double and Alex Verdugo’s stroll with a towering three-run homer to left discipline off Kansas City Royals right-hander Brady Singer for a 7-1 lead within the fourth.
Meneses, who hit .324 with a .930 on-base-plus-slugging proportion, 13 homers and 34 RBIs in 56 video games for Washington final season, punctuated his second shot with a rainmaker of a bat flip, tossing his lumber about 20 toes into the air in entrance of Mexico’s first-base dugout whereas his teammates — together with Dodgers left-hander Julio Urías — went wild.
Urías and Meneses, who’re each from Culiacán, have identified one another since they had been boys, however they by no means performed collectively as a result of Meneses is 4 years older than Urías (26).
Meneses has starred for los Tomateros de Culiacán in winter ball for years. Urias stated final yr that he needs to complete his profession with los Tomateros.
Angels left-hander Patrick Sandoval threw three one-run, two-hit innings, and Chicago Cubs right-hander Javier Assad threw three scoreless, one-hit innings to assist Mexico enhance to 1-1 in Pool C. Team USA fell to 1-1, making its path to the WBC quarterfinals in Miami just a little extra treacherous.
Canada and Colombia are each 1-0. The U.S. can clinch a spot to Miami with wins over Canada on Monday evening and Colombia on Wednesday evening.
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A battle between Angels teammates led to a draw, with Sandoval putting out Team USA middle fielder Mike Trout taking a look at a down-and-in slider within the first inning and Trout drawing a one-out stroll to cap a nine-pitch at-bat within the third.
Trout fouled off three full-count sliders within the third inning, all down and in, earlier than taking a fastball up for ball 4. Sandoval escaped additional injury by putting out No. 3 hitter Paul Goldschmidt with a nasty slider and getting cleanup man Nolan Arenado to floor out to shortstop, preserving a 3-1 lead.
Sandoval struck out two and walked two in his 55-pitch begin, yielding his solely run when Kyle Tucker laced a one-out triple into the right-field nook and scored on Tim Anderson’s single to proper within the second.
Dodgers catchers Will Smith and Austin Barnes additionally squared off in opposition to one another with Barnes, who’s taking part in for Mexico, stealing second base off Smith within the sixth inning. Smith hit a solo homer to left to chop Mexico’s result in 7-2.
Mexico tacked on 4 extra runs off Colorado nearer Daniel Bard within the eighth on Arozarena’s RBI double, Rowdy Tellez’s two-run single and Luis Urias’ RBI single, pushing the result in 11-2 and chasing Bard after he threw 33 pitches within the inning.
The U.S. countered with three runs within the backside of the eighth on Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI double and Anderson’s two-run double, however Smith flied out to deep middle with runners on second and third to finish the inning.
This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Times.
