"On the hill tonight for the Americans, a hurler who needs no introduction Paul Skenes who at age 23 already has a Cy Young award and two sub 2.00 earned run averages under his gold and black Bucco's belt. Against Mexico in his only WBC appearance: four innings, seven strikeouts, one hit over 60 pitches. He is formidable and almost untouchable, regardless of who holds the stick, and Dominican players are 3-27 against him in MLB play."
"For the Dominicans, it's Luis Severino, who is a solid, serviceable but inconsistent pitcher who can be had. When he's going well Severino is more than capable of going deep into games. He also has big game experience, throwing in 13 playoff contests. When he's not on, well, it can get ugly, and against a relentless lineup that hasn't really hit its stride, manager Albert Pujols will have his hook ready."
"It's also become something of a de-facto WBC final, with Japan shocked by Venezuela and Cinderella Italy continuing it's run with a defeat of Puerto Rico in Saturdays quarter-finals. Yes, Italy beat the US once, but they would be big underdogs in the final, as would Venezuela, regardless of which team wins tonight."
The World Baseball Classic semi-final features the US against the Dominican Republic in Miami. Both teams possess elite offensive lineups, but pitching determines the matchup's outcome. The US starts Paul Skenes, a 23-year-old Cy Young winner with dominant statistics including a 4-inning, 7-strikeout performance against Mexico. Dominican hitters are 0-27 against Skenes in MLB play. The Dominican Republic counters with Luis Severino, a capable but inconsistent pitcher with playoff experience. The US bullpen features closer Mason Miller with eight strikeouts in three hitless innings. The Dominican Republic lacks comparable relief pitching depth. Japan's upset loss to Venezuela and Italy's victory over Puerto Rico set up a likely US-Italy or US-Venezuela final. The US is favored to reach the championship.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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