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Team USA Baseball Olympics Quarterfinals Recap

Date: August 5, 2021

By: Michael Stamm

Team USA and Japan's baseball teams are on the field during an Olympics quarterfinals matchup.

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USA Baseball has been continuing its journey in pursuit of the first baseball gold medal in 13 years. If you have been following my updates, you would know that their plan is starting out strong, going undefeated in their group stage play. However, with tournament play starting, things are about to get a whole lot more serious. Starting with the favorites to win it all, Japan.

USA loses 7-6 to Japan.

Team USA started this game with what many people were scared about: do they have what it takes to overtake an excellent Japan roster. At first, it did not seem like it. Team USA couldn’t get much going early against former Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. After two scoreless innings, Masataka Yoshida drove in a run, then later scored a run of his own, putting the first two runs on the board and giving Japan a 2-0 lead.

Team USA took a deep breath and got to work themselves the next inning. Todd Frazier opened things off with a double, allowing Triston Casas to score. Then, Mark Kolozsvary and Nick Allen drove in runs of their own, leaving the inning with a 3-2 lead. Hayato Sakamoto drove in one more run in the bottom of the fourth, tying the game at three.

With USA back up to plate, it was time for them to try and pull away. Casas did his best smashing a three-run bomb and creating a 6-3 lead. However, Japan just did not want to go away, scoring two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.

The game became a fiery bullpen matchup, with each side throwing six strikeouts in the last four innings. Finally, with Japan down one in the bottom of the ninth, Scott McGough came in to close this one out. However, Japan wouldn’t go down without a fight. With a man on third and first, Yuni Yanagita drove in the tying run, and after securing the last out, this quarterfinal match would go into extra innings. 

If you hate the MLB’s extra-innings rule, wait until you see the Olympics. The batting team puts a runner on second and first in extra innings before even swinging a bat. Even with two runners on, Japan produced a 1-2-3 inning, and after a deep single into right field, Yangita scored the winning run giving Japan the win. 

On Wednesday, Japan faced South Korea in the semifinals, beating them 5-2 and giving them a spot in the gold medal finals. For Team USA, this loss put them in a different place but still with a chance to face Japan again, this time for gold. In the repechage round on Tuesday, Team USA beat the Dominican Republic again 3-1, pushing them into the semifinals, where they will face South Korea.

The winner will face Japan for gold while the loser will play for silver against the Dominican Republic. USA has already beaten South Korea 4-2 in the group stage, but this game means a little more with medals on the line. That game will take place on Thursday at 6 a.m. (EST). Go USA!

Michael Stamm can be reached at michael.stamm@student.shu.edu

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