Dominican Republic fans chant they want Team USA, seemingly forget that Paul Skenes will be waiting in Miami
After the Dominican Republic mercy-ruled Korea on Friday night at loanDepot Park, their fans spilled into the concourses chanting that they wanted Team USA. It was electric. It was loud. It was also a group of people who appear to have briefly forgotten that Paul Skenes is going to be standing on the mound Sunday night.
Paul Skenes starts for Team USA in the semifinal on Sunday at 8 PM ET at loanDepot Park in Miami on FS1. This will be his third start for Team USA and his fourth start of the Spring. Against Mexico in pool play he threw four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, a record for any Team USA pitcher in a single WBC game.
Paul Skenes is absolute FILTH
Before that Paul Skenes threw three innings in an exhibition against the Giants, gave up a leadoff double and then retired the next nine batters.
To put it as simply as possible, the stuff is as advertised.
Be careful what you wish for….
Paul Skenes watching DR fans say they want Team USA:
What awaits Paul Skenes is the best lineup in the tournament.
The Dominican Republic has been undefeated and has hit a WBC record-tying 14 home runs. They rank among the top teams in nearly every offensive category. Nine of their players received MVP votes last season. Juan Soto. Julio Rodriguez. Fernando Tatis Jr. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Manny Machado. Ketel Marte. Geraldo Perdomo. Junior Caminero. We’re talking legitimate baseball players and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Oneil Cruz has also been quietly excellent in limited appearances, going 3-for-4 with two home runs over 400 feet and three walks without a single strikeout. Cruz is also Skenes’ Pirates teammate, which adds a layer to an already stacked set of storylines.
Team USA is not exactly short on firepower either.
They haven’t played great, but nine players on their roster received MVP votes last season as well. Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Cal Raleigh, Bobby Witt Jr., Byron Buxton, Kyle Schwarber, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Brice Turang, and Will Smith.
A country of 340 million put together one of the most talented rosters ever assembled for this tournament but a Caribbean nation of 11 million built something very capable of beating them.
This is going to be absolute cinema.
This is the matchup everyone wanted. The bat-flipping, locker-room-dancing, home-run-mashing Dominican Republic against the most decorated pitching prospect this sport has produced in a generation.
The showmanship and looseness of a DR club that can both mash and throw a bash against a Team USA that is finally aware of exactly what is at stake.
Paul Skenes can go as deep as 95 pitches on Sunday. If he is locked in the way he was against Mexico, the DR fans chanting his name tonight are going to have a very different energy by the third inning.
Careful what you wish for…
Sunday. 8 PM ET. Miami. loanDepot Park. This is what the World Baseball Classic is supposed to look like.
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