Venezuela silences Team USA to win their first World Baseball Classic!

00:00:01
Speaker 1: I'm not getting hold of much more.

00:00:06
Speaker 2: On campus week.

00:00:16
Speaker 3: Good evening, everybody, and welcome to a very special edition of Foul Territory presented by Fox One. I'm your host Alana Rizzo in for Scott bron That is Todd Frasier, that is Eric Kratz.

00:00:28
Speaker 2: We are happy to be with you, guys.

00:00:30
Speaker 3: Man, I did not think we would be coming to you, guys with this type of finale.

00:00:34
Speaker 2: It is what it is.

00:00:35
Speaker 3: Congratulations to Venezuela, the victors.

00:00:39
Speaker 2: In the WBC. Guys.

00:00:42
Speaker 3: I'm not certain how I feel about this, but Todd, what is the biggest reflection you have Over the course of this two and a half week World Baseball Classic, Team Venezuela.

00:00:52
Speaker 2: Taken the wind.

00:00:53
Speaker 4: Yeah, it seemed like ever since they lost the Dominican Republic, they found this wave in the ocean and they that wave all the way to the championship. They were excited, they had joy, they had chance, they had everything going for him and they fell into this lovely little bond that they came together with.

00:01:14
Speaker 5: And it was.

00:01:14
Speaker 4: Fun to watch. And that's one thing I'll take away from it. I thought everybody played for each other. They got the bunt down, they got a guy over. I mean the pitching, the relief pitching for Venezuela. It was so spot on. They did absolutely everything that they did right. And you know, on the flip side, you look at USA. Yeah they did good, but they didn't hit. They didn't hit. That was the biggest takeaway I got for USA. They didn't find a way to get the big hit. I know Harper did, don't get me wrong, But when it came down to it, two runs is not going to win you a World Baseball Classic in the last two games. So for them, it's hard. It's hard to swallow. It's a hard pill to swallow if you're a USA you know favorite, if you're a fan of them and you're from there.

00:01:58
Speaker 5: I mean, it's hard.

00:01:59
Speaker 4: But you know, Venezuela came out and the excitement was on their side right.

00:02:03
Speaker 5: From Jump Street.

00:02:05
Speaker 1: Eric.

00:02:05
Speaker 3: So many people are going to question the moves always right, hindsight is twenty twenty. Everyone's going to question Derosi's starting, you know, Bregman over Gunner, Henderson, Will Smith over cal Rawley, this, that and the other thing. But it came down to the fact that you're right, Todd, they didn't hit.

00:02:21
Speaker 2: Eric what's your takeaway from it?

00:02:23
Speaker 6: My takeaways whenever there is superstars out in the field, superstar pitching majority of the time beats superstar hitting. And some superstars which I was not a superstar, would argue with me. But really, like that's the reason they're superstar pitchers. Those are the dudes that get that normally shut down the best players, the best players. They will they clip. Will they clip a guy here and there, absolutely, but they beat up on the other guys. They beat up on the guys that are there and aren't as aren't as good of pitchers as they are of hitters. And when you go head to head, superstar is superstar, I don't care what time of year it is. Rarely are the superstars on the other team. Like if you're facing Scooble, rarely is Aaron Judges automatically just going three for three against Scooble. No, you hope he clips them. When he's facing Garret Crochet, there's gonna be a few strikeouts here there, but you hope he lasts till the eighth inning and Judge gets another shot and then clips him, hits a dinger and you win one. Nothing Like that's how you got to beat superstars. I just didn't think tonight Eduardo Ariguez was gonna be that superstar.

00:03:35
Speaker 1: Oh man, did he show up tonight for Venezuela?

00:03:39
Speaker 3: So many folks are gonna ask why wasn't Mason Miller in this game? What's going on with Mark Drosso? Why didn't he allow Mason Miller to pitch? But there's things going into this game cratzy that people don't understand. Mason Miller. Ken Rosenthaler, our friend and our colleague, talked about the fact that Mason Miller wasn't necessarily going to be available to pitch in the game. There's so many different things that are hamstringing a manager in this situation.

00:04:07
Speaker 2: Mason Miller wasn't available.

00:04:12
Speaker 6: And if he was available, I haven't heard that he wasn't available, But if he was available, I mean, are you going to not put Garrett Whitlock in the same inning that he is dominated and hasn't given up a run the entire WBC. No, the plan was you go Whitlock and then you go Mason Miller. When if you need if you need it in extras there like I get it, I get it. Mason Miller is supposed to supposed to pitch. Maybe he wasn't available. We I don't know, I haven't heard.

00:04:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm not certain either.

00:04:44
Speaker 3: I mean there was talk, of course that maybe he wasn't going to be available based on how he felt. Craig Stamm and the manager of the Padres, was saying that we're going to see how this goes. But you're right, you know, you look at it like Garret Whitlock gave it up. But then you look at it also that, well you're a bray you of the Reds is the one that hit the two run home runs. So I mean, there's just so many different things that go through your mind as a as a fan, as an analyst of whatever.

00:05:10
Speaker 2: Watching this game, I'm a little shell shocked.

00:05:13
Speaker 3: To be honest with you, I did not Todd give Venezuela as much credit as I guess maybe I should have.

00:05:19
Speaker 2: I mean, was this was this the better team? The better team win?

00:05:24
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:05:25
Speaker 5: I mean right now I would have to say yes.

00:05:27
Speaker 4: Ultimately, they came out fired up, they took the pitches they need, they got guys on base. It just didn't seem like USA found a way to pit the ball. They had one hit for a long time there, and that's frustrating. You're facing a lefty pitcher and you know, he absolutely dominated and that's that's the bottom line. They came out in the last three or four three games, excuse me, and they pitched the best that they could do and it was their time. And yeah, I'm shocked too. I'm ultimately blown away. How I say, did not come out and hit the baseball and put up six, eight, ten runs. I was waiting for that output and never came. And guess what, when you do that in baseball, things will not go your way because you're playing against the best of the best from each country.

00:06:15
Speaker 2: Eric is Bryce Harper elite again?

00:06:22
Speaker 6: Brice Harper is the same guy he was last year. He is the same guy that has been motivated to be the best that he can be. Is he elite again because of one swing?

00:06:34
Speaker 1: No? Is he clutch? Yes? That never changed.

00:06:40
Speaker 6: Even if he flied that one to the warning track, He's still he still is the guy that you went up in the big situations. He's proven that and I think there's other guys on the team that can do that, but he's proven it in the playoffs for the Phillies. And now he did it again in a big spot to pull Team USA tied to too late in the game.

00:07:03
Speaker 1: What a massive homer that was.

00:07:05
Speaker 3: Honestly though, Eduardo Rodriguez Todd four and a third scoreless innings inning against Team USA. A lineup that is stacked. We've talked about it so much. This is the best American lineup we've ever seen in the WBC.

00:07:18
Speaker 2: And it's so funny.

00:07:19
Speaker 3: I mean, I guess not funny, but this is a guy that struggled with Arizona over the last couple of seasons. I mean an ERA over five over a course of you know, two hundred and four and a third innings pitched. And he comes out and he just shoves, Like what does that mean? Like, how does that happen? You have an elite lineup in the in the United States and Warder Areas.

00:07:38
Speaker 2: Comes out and just shoves. How does that possible? Baseball doesn't make sense? Make it make sense to me?

00:07:45
Speaker 4: Well, here's why it does make sense. You got Salvador Perez behind a plate. You got a veteran catcher who absolutely knows each hit or that he's facing, and he manipulated that strike zone so perfectly against guy like the captain Aaron Judge who had a couple of strikeouts. He was forcing him to throw that hard inside and throw that change up and nobody else could figure out how to hit. They got one hit against him. He did absolutely phenomenal. Give credit to Salvi Perez. They put the right catcher in there at the right time. They pushed all the right buttons and that's ultimately, and when they went down, or excuse me, when the game got tied. Next thing, you know, a walk can't do that. That's a big play in the game. Find a way to let Luisa rise try and hit one out of the park. You know what I mean, throw strikes. I know that three to one pitch I think was a strike, But ultimately that's the way it goes. That's the human nature of the game. Gotta find a way to get that out.

00:08:44
Speaker 1: Eric.

00:08:44
Speaker 2: Let me ask you this. We talked so much the other day.

00:08:46
Speaker 3: When the USA played the Dominican Republic and bested the DR it was a lot. It was three reasons. Number one, base running number two. They were two for nine with runners in scoring position. Number three. USA had really good pitching. So let me ask you this. When it comes to Venezuela, it was the Venezuelan hitters that stepped up in the big moments right, stepped up when they needed it most. You have a bray you obviously with the home run Suarez Mikel Garcia early on in the game. Was this just a matter of the Venezuelan hitters capitalizing when they needed to at the right time.

00:09:23
Speaker 2: I mean, what do you make of it overall?

00:09:26
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:09:26
Speaker 6: I mean, for sure they capitalized when they needed I mean they struck out ten times. Team USA struck out seven times. I mean struck out seven times. Team USA struck out ten times. The batters did like, they both walked three times both teams. Venezuela had six hits, Team USA had three hits. Like they put together overall in their lineup, they put together better at bats top to bottom to get them in the situation that they were in. If you're only ever looking for one swing, well that could be the case with Venezuela too. Like Hinneo Suarez is in there for one thing, one swing, and he got the three to two and he threw him a change up. He had to throw a strike, or at least in that moment, he thought he had to throw a strike because he threw the fastball up the pitch before and then he just landed the He landed the strike middle middle, and Suarez came through a guy that is really boom or bust or walk, and he came through with a massive double. Like there's plenty of situation. Not plenty, but there were some situations where you would have said, Okay, Team USA is going to come through here, but it was still they were waiting for somebody to come through with a big homer. They were waiting for Judge to come through with a big homer with a runner on first. Like, to me, that's not the way you normally win close games is by, oh, we got a guy on. And every time the United States got a guy on, he was on first base with two outs. And the only guy that got a hit against at Guardo Rodriguez early was Bryce terraang so is left on left. So it's really to me, it's not.

00:11:10
Speaker 1: At all on d Row. To me, it's not at all on the pitching.

00:11:14
Speaker 6: I really think it's a rest with the lineup and they weren't able to get that big hit because I think that's what they were looking for, one big hit instead of trying to figure out how to string hits together, which is really tough against the line, which against the pitchers that Venezuela kept running out there.

00:11:33
Speaker 3: Todd, Aaron Judge was zero for four in this game. Three ks. He's going to take a lot of criticism just because he's Aaron Judge, right, I mean rightfully? So we expect so much of this man, captain of the Yankees, captain of the USA squad.

00:11:51
Speaker 2: Is the criticism.

00:11:54
Speaker 3: Justified when it comes to number ninety nine in this particular tournament or in this particular game rather, Yeah.

00:12:01
Speaker 4: I think yes, But I think ultimately Aaron's gonna take it on the chin and say, hey, you know this is on me.

00:12:09
Speaker 5: I didn't do my job. You know, it's one game.

00:12:12
Speaker 4: So if you don't do good, and it's one game, you're gonna get criticized, and not just the nature of the beasts. You get one chance to win a World Baseball Classic. It's not best out of three, it's not best out of seven. So yeah, he's gonna take the criticism. He's gonna take it with his chin up high and understand, listen, I didn't do my job, you know. But in the back of everybody's mind, is nobody did their job as the hitters. Nobody came through, They didn't get guys in scoring position. Give Venezuela the credit. Like we talked about, USA did not hit, and guess what they didn't win.

00:12:46
Speaker 5: That is baseball defense wins championships. We get that.

00:12:50
Speaker 4: But if you don't hit and score runs, you're not gonna win any games.

00:12:53
Speaker 5: And that's ultimately what it came down to.

00:12:56
Speaker 3: Eric, we talked about the criticism whether or not it's warranted for Aaron Judge, what about Mark de Rosa? What does this mean for d row moving forward? Is this is this his fault? I mean, he can't hit right, he can't go out there and hit. He's the manager, he's not the player.

00:13:12
Speaker 2: So what is your.

00:13:13
Speaker 3: Overall takeaway about the criticism that you know d Ro's going to face.

00:13:20
Speaker 6: I mean, I think from now on, I don't think that. I don't think it's fair criticism. I didn't see anything that I would have done differently during this game. I felt like the lineup construction was there. I felt like he stuck with Bryce Harper through thick and thin here and he paid off. He got two of the three hits tonight and drove the two run homer that tied the game up late. So to me, I think the only way, the only way he's not brought back to do this in the next WBC is if the players are like, nah, we need a different voice, or nah, we're looking for somebody that's currently just off the field, something like that. I mean, look at you. Look at the guys that they had on the bench. It was a lot of guys that are very very well respected, but they don't have a ton of coaching experience in pro ball. And to me, I don't know that that's what's needed. I don't know if that's what would have helped them win the game. No, I don't think so. So to me, the only way those dudes don't come back is if they A don't want to or B the players weren't happy. And to me, all the players that we've talked to, all the players that we've seen and heard the way that they're talking, have had a great time. Like Terry Scoble just talking about driving through the rainstorm to get back down there to he threw a pen and he hung out in the dugout and he's like, I feel like I've known these guys for a few months, not just a few weeks. And that's the kind of environment you have to build. And then you put the guys out there, you throw the balls out on the field, and you say, go play and try to win the.

00:14:53
Speaker 3: Ball game all right, from the WBC through the World Series, to the World Cup, to NASCAR and Indy Car with five you get it all live, guys. Start your seven day free trial today. Offers our subject to change. Download Fox one today and stream Major League Baseball all season long. Go to foxwe dot com for complete terms and conditions.

00:15:16
Speaker 2: Fox one streaming now.

00:15:19
Speaker 3: If you look at the comments, gentlemen, everyone in the chat just talking about this game. Of course, everyone's like, why didn't you just put Mason Miller in? It was known before the game. Mark Deurosis said Todd that Mason Miller was available.

00:15:33
Speaker 2: Obviously, it was a whole situation.

00:15:35
Speaker 3: Garret, Garrett Whitlock comes in instead of Mason Miller. You could have used Mason Miller at a later time. It's funny, you know, it's so easy to be a manager when you're sitting on your couch right or when you're sitting in your hotel rooms. You're getting ready to do Yankees games coming up. It's so funny how everybody has the answer. But there's a reason that Garrett Whitlock was in the game before Mason Miller was in the game, right, I mean, everybody has a everyone has an opinion, But there's a reason that Whitlock was in before Mason Millar.

00:16:05
Speaker 5: Yeah.

00:16:06
Speaker 4: I mean he's given up zero runs. I mean, the guy has been absolutely insane. He's been great. I don't think that that was an easy decision as a manager to bring him in and then ultimately if they found a way to get a run. If not, yeah, maybe you think about bringing Mason Miller in after that. But you know, I don't second guess that at all. You know, you think about de Rosa, you talked about him as a manager.

00:16:31
Speaker 5: I thought he did well.

00:16:32
Speaker 4: You know, ultimately, the comment was probably a big problem that people still aren't getting over with, which they should. He made a mistake and he and it is what it is. He owned up to it in his own way.

00:16:46
Speaker 5: Move on.

00:16:46
Speaker 4: They made it to the championship. They didn't hit the ball. That's what they got to live with and they got to move on. I'm excited to see if they Finally they get this team back in the Olympics coming up in a couple of years, so we'll see about that. But yeah, this one still stinks. This one's gonna stink for a little while, especially until you know, the regular season starts. So hopefully it starts tomorrow. But no, it's not. But yes, congrats to Venezuela.

00:17:11
Speaker 2: They deserved it one hundred percent.

00:17:12
Speaker 3: And Eric, let's look at I mean the facts, right, the US didn't hit you look up and down the lineup. I mean Harper obviously was two two for four. Rather I mean Bryce terrang was one for three. That's it, that's your hits, right, I mean Venezuela doubled up on the hits and not a ton. I mean they only had six hits in thirty one at bats, but in total in thirty one at bats. But the fact of the matter is they came up clutch in the situations that they needed to. I mean, obviously Bryce Harper had the two run home run, but in the little moments that counted, Venezuela made the most of it. So let's not take away from what they were able to accomplish totally.

00:17:50
Speaker 6: This is less about what the and I think we've kind of alluded to it. Less about what the what USA couldn't do, and more about out what Venezuela was able to do. They were able to overcome the fact that they played last night they didn't have I guess they did have almost everybody but Avila, who gave him some good innings. He wasn't available. Palencia wasn't available unless it was a safe situation. So if they were tied in that situation in the bottom of the ninth, Palencia wouldn't be in there. So things fell in place for them. But they fell in place because they took advantage of situations that I think both teams had at different points. The close out safe called second base on the stolen base. Whitlock didn't keep them close because Sinejas is not He's not fast, he's not like blazing speed, but he's able to take the base high leg kick. Will Smith made a good throw, not perfect throw, could have been called out. Could Like there's so many plays in these types of games, any kind of winner take all type of game, You're going to look at all the little plays and say who played better Venezuela. Venezuela one played better, and they deserve to win this. They were really close other years, I mean they lost. They had the game in hand in the eighth inning last time they played Team USA until Trey Turner's home run which sent the US to the finals and not Venezuela.

00:19:27
Speaker 1: And this time Venezuela came out on top.

00:19:29
Speaker 3: Yeah, congratulations to Venezuela. It was It was a very good game. And this whole tournament has been so incredibly special. I'm going to ask you guys this. It is time now for our MLB Rivals Player of the Game. And it's funny when you do this right, it kind of changes every other second. For one minute, it's like, Oh, it's the starting pitcher, Then all of a sudden, it's like, oh it's eu Henio Suarez.

00:19:53
Speaker 2: Then all of a sudden, it's like, oh it's Bryce Harper. So Todd, I will I will defer to you first. Who is your em BE Rivals Player of the Game.

00:20:03
Speaker 4: I know Kratz, he loves this because he never gets the first try here, which is great.

00:20:07
Speaker 5: Appreciate it.

00:20:08
Speaker 4: And guess what, I'm not gonna pass either. I'm gonna keep getting here. I'm gonna go with me and Jane the boy I came up and played with with the Reds when he came over there, Eu Henniosuarez absolutely clutch Jean Big Homer yesterday and then comes up big here with the RBI to win the game. You saw him in the press confer in the interview after the game. The dude was fired up, was lit. He was just absolutely juiced and thanking everybody and so happy. He's a happy, go lucky guy. Well deserved. He is my MVP of the game.

00:20:45
Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm so glad that you get to go first, because you always pick the one that's not really the MVP of the game. It's easily Eduardo Riguez. This team was playing last night. They had to play a game within twenty four hours and in these this environment where all we.

00:21:02
Speaker 1: Talked about the whole time.

00:21:03
Speaker 6: Oh, Mark Derosi's hands are tied. A lot of these managers' hands are tied with the pitching. If he doesn't do that, Venezuela is cooked because they don't have all their guys in their pen. They don't have they don't have enough innings really to with that. Withstand what was going to happen?

00:21:21
Speaker 1: And you know what, and.

00:21:22
Speaker 6: Waldriguez showed up really like he hasn't shown up in a long time. And if I'm a Diamondbacks fan, I'm like, yeah, I love this because this means our guy is going to be ready to go and you sit there and you go Okay.

00:21:40
Speaker 1: Didn't expect this.

00:21:41
Speaker 6: Thought it was going to be a game where we had to kind of piece it together. I thought they kind of took at Wardo Riguez out a little early. So that's my MVP. But the MVP of the tournament for me is Palencia. He gets another save, absolutely dominant. I don't even know who won MVP of WBC, but to me, if it's definitely from the winning team, it's either Palencia or trying to think who else had a good series for him, somebody, somebody with the sticks.

00:22:09
Speaker 2: Well, how about let's get let's get.

00:22:12
Speaker 6: Your braid is great, but not mean, gean, geez, Todd, you're such a homer.

00:22:19
Speaker 3: Mean, listen, will your bray you Todd's gonna smash okay, And so as far as smashing path will you're a braid you Let's do this right, And I mean that in the most respectful way. I mean the guy obviously a couple of massive, massive, key at bats.

00:22:39
Speaker 2: This is.

00:22:40
Speaker 3: This is a kid that continues to just rise in terms of what he's been able to do.

00:22:47
Speaker 2: He's a great outfielder for the Red Sox.

00:22:50
Speaker 3: He has that clutch gene, he's a good defensive outfielder, and he's just he just came up big in this tournament.

00:22:56
Speaker 2: So not that anybody asked me, but I'm going to.

00:22:59
Speaker 3: Give some love to will A Bray You as far as my MLB Rivals Player.

00:23:03
Speaker 2: Of the Game, I feel I feel like he deserves that.

00:23:09
Speaker 4: Well well said too, for sure, has some really really clutch It's home is that home run?

00:23:14
Speaker 5: It's a different ballgame, so yes, very true.

00:23:19
Speaker 1: In the Japan game either.

00:23:22
Speaker 3: That's That's what I'm saying. The man came up big. We are smashing as far.

00:23:28
Speaker 2: As that is.

00:23:29
Speaker 3: It's like an inside joke with the three of us on this whole on this whole postgame show, but.

00:23:34
Speaker 2: It is what it is.

00:23:35
Speaker 3: Enjoy an officially licensed Major League Baseball game anytime anywhere, Experience the fully integrated MLB schedule, and participate in World Baseball Classic events to earn player cards and special rewards. By downloading MLB Rivals in your app store today guys, before we say goodbye, I just want to take get your opinion overall on the WBC. It only happens every three years. It may not have been the way that we wanted it to end up, obviously. I believe we're all USA fans here, we're all born here. But man, this is a fun tournament.

00:24:13
Speaker 1: Todd.

00:24:13
Speaker 2: What's your overarching thought about the World Baseball Classic?

00:24:17
Speaker 5: Tike?

00:24:17
Speaker 4: I think it was fantastic. I think this is truly remarkable. If you're not a baseball fan, you're a baseball fan now watching this you can root for teams like a great Britain or how about in Italy who's undefeated until the semifinals. I mean if you have roots or any lineage to any of these countries. Yeah, you're into baseball now, and I'm so glad this is going on. You saw the spirit, you saw the enthusiastic players and fans. This is something if you're a young man or woman watching this game, you're going to be talking about when you're older and you have kids. Hey do you remember when we saw Venezuela win the World Baseball Classic in Miami?

00:24:57
Speaker 1: Oh?

00:24:58
Speaker 4: Yeah, this is fantastic. Bravo to everybody involved.

00:25:02
Speaker 1: You know what I have to say.

00:25:03
Speaker 6: Oh G, another thing that baseball is doing really well. Gee, I wonder if we could just not have a workstoppage. Oh G, they just sold out Loan Depot Park in Miami. You know what, it took a little bit of extra effort. It took really good players to come down to that ballpark. Oh man, I guess Miami is just not a great place for baseball. It's not what it looked like tonight. I think it's maybe more of the product that you put on the field. And this is such a great thing for baseball. I hope it continues. I hope the next time we see all these dudes on the field are when the big leaguers get to play in the Olympics. But if some people that want to ruin the fund and no fun police don't let them in, then you know what, maybe we need to we need we need to revisit who's who's making the decisions on things. But until then, this is an incredible series, is incredible, classic tournament, whatever you want to call it.

00:26:05
Speaker 1: And they killed it.

00:26:06
Speaker 6: They killed it, and baseball couldn't be higher and couldn't be flourishing more I agreed.

00:26:11
Speaker 3: I am so grateful to have the opportunity to have paid attention to the WBC, to have covered the WBC, to have lived through this amazing tournament the amazing time.

00:26:23
Speaker 2: I'm proud to be from the United States. I'm proud to have watched this club.

00:26:27
Speaker 3: I'm proud to see all of the different Cinderella stories and all of the different stuff that happened. Baseball's great and baseball's in a great spot, and I'm just I'm so grateful to be a part of all of this.

00:26:38
Speaker 2: For all of us here at Foul Territory, thanks for coming along for the ride.

00:26:42
Speaker 3: I mean, for Todd Frazier, for Eric Stratz, for everyone involved on our Foul Territory staff. Thank you for being here tonight. Thanks again to MLB rivals, here's more from them.

00:26:53
Speaker 2: Good night, y'all.

00:26:54
Speaker 4: Baseball one thing defines your legacy. The Hall of Fame, a place reserve or mortals the chosen few who have sacrificed thought and bled for the game.

00:27:06
Speaker 6: With every swing, every play, every challenge faced.

00:27:11
Speaker 4: It's about achieving greatness that echoes through time, and now is your time.

00:27:18
Speaker 6: The rise to the challenge, chase immortality and become a legend download mob rivals