Trea Turner on his epic grand slam for Team USA: ‘When you get punched in the mouth, you’ve got to respond’
With one swing, Trea Turner sent baseball fans into a frenzy during Saturday night’s World Baseball Classic matchup between Team USA and Team Venezuela.
Turner who was penciled in as the team’s No. 9 hitter stepped to the plate in the top of eight inning with the bases loaded, Venezuela leading 7-5.
Silvino Brancho was on the bump for Venezuela, the journeyman reliever had only faced Turner one other time during his career. His first pitch was a fastball for strike one. Turner would foul another fastball for strike two.
The atmosphere in Miami was loud and the crowd was roaring, not bad for an exhibition baseball game in March.
Brancho with the energy pumping through LoanDepot Park, would throw a 0-2 changeup that stayed over the heart of the plate. With one swing, Turner sent that ball deep into the left field seats.
“I feel like I blacked out,” Turner said.
The $300 million dollar Phillies shortstop was fired up, his teammates came pouring out of the dugout, waiting to meet him at home plate to celebrate one of the biggest hits in Team USA history.
USA manager Mark DeRosa told his team before the game that he expected the crowd to be pro-Venezuela and that if the team hit a huge home run celebrate it.
"That's why I wanted to have a meeting before we went out there," DeRosa said following the game. "I knew we were going to be in a hostile environment. Even though we're in the U.S., I knew it was going to be kind of like a road game for us. I just wanted our guys, when we got rolling, to come out of the dugout and kind of send a message that we were going to match their energy."
DeRosa told his players to “let it go.” Turner did that as he rounded the bases with America watching, the crowd roaring and his teammates and coaches waiting for him at home plate.
Turner put his huge home run eloquently following the game, “When you get punched in the mouth, you’ve got to respond.”
The grand slam gave Team USA a 9-7 lead, which ended up being the final score. Team USA will play Team Cuba on Sunday night at 7 p.m.
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