U.S. to face host Japan for baseball gold medal

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Eddy Alvarez sat in the U.S. dugout after the good out, buried his face in his hands and wept, even supposing his biggest sport stays forward.

A 7-2 victory over defending champion South Korea on Thursday night arena up a gold-medal matchup against Japan and assured the 31-year-vulnerable speedskater-modified into-2d baseman of turning into biggest the third American to earn medals at each the Frosty climate and Summer season Olympics.

“I purchased emotional due to it modified into tons of sacrifice,” Alvarez said. “I aloof can’t mediate it. I know the job’s not accomplished yet due to, on the conclude of the day, one among the suitable the clarification why I came out here is for redemption, to gain a gold medal.”

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As Alvarez cried, Jack Lopez, Crop Martinez, Edwin Jackson and Anthony Carter patted him on the abet and exchanged handshakes and hugs.

After incomes a silver in 2014 at Sochi as piece of the U.S. four-man instant tune crew, Alvarez will gain no lower than a silver in baseball. The opposite Americans with summer season and winter medals are Eddie Eagan (boxing in 1920, bobsled in 1932) and Lauryn Williams (tune and arena in 2004 and 2012, bobsled in 2014).

Alvarez is batting .350 with three RBIs on this Games. His skating crew accomplished 0.271 seconds in the abet of Russia in the 5,000-meter relay at Sochi, but three of the four gold medalists were banned from the 2018 Frosty climate Games over suspicions of doping.

“I would possibly well moreover simply not misinform you. I fabricate if truth be told feel cheated. There presumably modified into some suspicion occurring there,” Alvarez said. “Clearly, I cannot reveal too mighty about it due to they aloof procure the gold medal, but I also know that they effect in the work. I’ve seen them come up thru the years, and I know the way mighty they’ve improved.

“But, yeah, this feels savor slightly redemption time out here, giving me a 2d likelihood to gain gold.”

The U.S. crew of potentialities and released veterans, searching for the Americans’ 2d baseball gold medal and first since 2000, improved to 4-1 and can simply play Japan (5-0) on Saturday night, with Martinez (1-0) getting the commence up in a ballpark he is conversant in from pitching for the Pacific League’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Against South Korea, Lopez drove in his first two runs of the Olympics with RBI singles for his first two hits, Jamie Westbrook hit a solo homer, and Tyler Austin hit a two-speed single because the U.S. constructed a 7-1 lead with a five-speed sixth. Alvarez and Impress Kolozsvary also drove in runs.

At the good out, a line power caught by Carter, Alvarez raised his appropriate arm in triumph, then raised each hands and hugged shortstop Crop Allen.

“Or not it is so cool to be spherical him and form of learn from him straight forward guidelines on how to engage with other international locations,” Westbrook said.

Teammates who’re baseball lifers rely on Alvarez for Olympic advice.

“Lawful telling us small guidelines, tricks across the village, spherical appropriate the stress conditions,” U.S. starter Joe Ryan said. “Or not it is an honor to play with him.”

A 31-year-vulnerable infielder with Miami‘s Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Minute, Alvarez made his main league debut last season when the Marlins’ roster modified into decimated by coronavirus, hitting .189 with zero RBIs in 12 games.

“No longer many contributors gain 2d times in the Olympics, so let’s fabricate it for him,” third baseman Todd Frazier said. “I’d play with him without reference to what, for sure.”

Ryan, a 25-year-vulnerable appropriate-hander bought by the Minnesota Twins in last month’s exchange that despatched Nelson Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays, left with a 2-1 lead after allowing four hits in 4⅓ innings.

Ryder Ryan (1-0), a 26-year-vulnerable appropriate-hander at Texas‘ Triple-A Spherical Rock, pitched 1⅔ hitless innings for the Americans’ 2d gain over South Korea, following a 4-2 victory in the first spherical.

Lopez, a 28-year-vulnerable infielder promoted to Triple-A Worcester by the Boston Red Sox in Would possibly moreover, lined a two-out RBI single in the 2d for his first hit in eight Olympic at-bats. Lopez is a nephew of venerable enormous league shortstop Onix Concepcion.

Westbrook homered about 20 rows into the left-arena seats for a 2-0 lead in the fourth.

South Korea (3-3), which faces the Dominican Republic (2-3) for the bronze, bought a speed when Park Hae-min chased Joe Ryan with an RBI single in the fifth.

Ryder Ryan wished appropriate two pitches to gain away two-on difficulty, getting Kang Baek-ho to flooring into an inning-ending double play.

American hitters batted spherical against four relievers in the sixth. Kolozsvary and Lopez had RBI singles; Alvarez’s RBI grounder made it 5-1; and Austin, in his home ballpark of the Central League’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars, followed with a two-speed single that gave him seven RBIs in the tournament.

Oh Ji-hwan hit an RBI double in the seventh off Scott McGough. Anthony Gose, throwing at as much as 98 mph, relieved with two on and bought a pair of referred to as third strikes, then pitched a hitless eighth. Carter accomplished with a good ninth.

U.S. relievers will gain a day off to rest up for the gold-medal sport.

“The underside line: It says USA across our jersey and these guys are taking part in for a gold medal this weekend,” U.S. manager Mike Scioscia said. “It would not gain any better that.”

Japan, which stopped its main league season to accomplish prime players available for the Olympics, is the favourite. It defeated the U.S. 7-6 in 10 innings on Monday in the double-elimination 2d spherical.

“I’m appropriate going to procure this 2d. I could experience it. I could call my spouse and my of us, who deserve this appropriate as mighty as I fabricate,” Alvarez said. “After which we are going to crawl on to Saturday, and then I could fabricate some celebrating after.”