Palm Beach native Trea Turner’s slam rallies Team USA past Venezuela and into WBC semis

Trea Turner spent some of his teenage years hitting home runs about 60 miles north of loanDepot park.

The graduate of Park Vista High in Lake Worth has hit seven at the ballpark during his major league career.

But none likely as memorable as the one he hit on Saturday night.

Turner’s go-ahead grand slam in the top of the eighth inning saved the United States from elimination and ultimately lifted it to a thrilling 9-7 comeback win over Venezuela in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal.

Turner’s 407-foot blast off Venezuela reliever Silvino Bracho, which landed in the seats above the left field bar area of loanDepot park, sent the bulk of the USA fans in a sell out crowd of 35,792 into a frenzy. Those fans’ noise level was only slightly lower than the larger contingent of Venezuela fans, who erupted whenever they had something to celebrate throughout the back-and-forth contest.

“I think individually I think this is probably the biggest hit that I’ve had. And individually probably right up there with any hit I’ve ever had,” Turner said. “But as a team I think you set a goal. And we want to win the whole thing. That’s what you do as well during the regular season. Everybody wants to win the World Series. So when you kind of accomplish your goal, I think that for me is most important. And we’re not done yet.”

The U.S., which won its first WBC the last time it was held in 2017, advanced to the semifinals on Sunday where it will face Cuba at 7 p.m. Japan and Mexico will play the other semifinal on Monday at 7 with the winners squaring off for the tournament championship on Tuesday at 7.

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said St. Louis Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright will start against Cuba.

Turner’s blast came after the U.S. loaded the bases with no outs against former Marlins reliever Jose Quijada when he walked Tim Anderson, allowed a pinch-hit, bloop single to right to Pete Alonso and hit J.T. Realmuto with a pitch. Down 0-2 in the count, Turner squared up a changeup from Bracho.

“Yeah, just got a pitch in the middle of the zone and put a good swing on it,” Turner said. “I hadn’t faced him very much going into that, so didn’t really know what to expect. Just tried to kind of compete up there and not try and do too much because I know I got Mookie (Betts) and Mike (Trout) behind me.”

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Following Turner’s heroics, the U.S.’s bullpen did the rest as Devin Williams worked around a leadoff double by Ronald Acuna Jr. in the eighth by striking out David Peralta and Eugenio Suarez and inducing a line out by Gleyber Torres. Ryan Pressly then worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up the save.

“Being honest with you, it’s one of the greatest games I’ve ever been a part of,” USA manager Mark DeRosa said. “Someone had to win, someone had to lose. Trea Turner stepped up just with a 0-2 absolute bomb. Lance Lynn battled through four innings. We knew our bullpen was one of the big strengths of our team. Daniel struggled a little bit. We had to go get him and burn Adam in a spot we usually wouldn’t use him in.”

The U.S. got off to a great start at the plate, hitting five consecutive singles to open the game that produced three runs and chased Venezuela starter Martin Perez, who only had one out to his credit when Kyle Tucker was thrown out trying to advance to second after he drove in Paul Goldschmidt for USA’s third run. Tucker went 3 for 5 with a home run and two RBI.

Venezuela answered in the bottom half when one of the newest Miami Marlins, Luis Arraez, crushed a two-run home run 377 feet to right field to cut the United States’ lead to 3-2.

Arraez would hit another home run in the seventh inning on a 351-foot blast that hit the pylon located just inside and behind the right field foul pole.

Arraez became the first Venezuelan player to hit multiple home runs in a World Baseball Classic game.

Prior to that, Venezuela scored four runs on only two hits in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of USA reliever Daniel Bard’s struggles to take a 6-5 lead.

Bard walked Torres then gave up an infield single to Andres Gimenez on a slow bouncer that got past the mound. Bard then hit Jose Altuve on the right hand, knocking him out of the game after a wild pitch moved Torres and Gimenez to second and third. Another wild pitch allowed Torres to score. Bard then walked Anthony Santander prompting U.S. manager Mark DeRosa to replace him with Jason Adam.

After another run scored on a fielder’s choice grounder to short right field by Arraez, Salvador Perez lined a double to left to tie the game at 5. Acuna Jr. followed with a sacrifice fly to deep center to give Venezuela its first lead of the game.