Team Italy looked well on its way to a win on Monday night over Venezuela in the semifinal of the World Baseball Classic, in no small part due to a pair of Phillies.
Dante Nori, who has stood out as one of the tournament’s highest-profile breakouts, gave Italy a two-run lead in the second inning when he grounded out into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded that pushed Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone across home. A batter before that, J.J. D’Orazio had worked a walk to force the first run of the game in for Italy.
While a Phillies prospect in Nori did his job, it was the longest tenured Philly in Aaron Nola who provided the backbone in the early innings for Italy. After struggling to an ERA over six last season while battling through injuries, Nola has looked resurgent in the tournament.
Monday night was no exception, as Nola started off his outing with three scoreless innings against Venezuela. The right-hander ran into a bit of trouble in his second face-off of the night against Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez in the bottom of the fourth.
After punching out Suárez in the second inning, the infielder won the battle this time around, pulling a pitch over the left field wall to bring Venezuela within one.
Still, Nola exited the game with a one-run lead after four innings of excellent work.
Former Phillie Michael Lorenzen's WBC meltdown eliminates Italy as Venezuela heads to finals
Enter Michael Lorenzen.
Now a member of the Colorado Rockies after signing a one year, $8 million contract with a club option this past offseason, the former Phillies pitcher had previously dominated the Team USA lineup last week in pool play, hurling 4 2/3 scoreless innings and allowing just four baserunners. The eventual 8-6 Italy victory left the Americans on the brink of elimination before Italy went on to save their tournament lives against Mexico.
With Italy holding a lead going into the later innings, manager Franciso Cervelli called Lorenzen’s number out of the bullpen.
Originally slated to start the contest in lieu of Nola, Cervelli initially opted instead to save Lorenzen for a potential rematch against the USA in the WBC championship game after his success the first go around.
Instead, with a one-run lead and Nola’s day done, Cervelli decided to go for the kill and brought in Lorenzen to bridge the gap to the team’s de facto closer, Greg Weissert of the Boston Red Sox. The move proved costly.
Lorenzen cruised through his first two innings of work before the wheels fell off in the seventh. After allowing a leadoff walk and a two-out single, Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. grounded a ball deep to short and beat the throw to first, tying the game at two. That didn’t end the damage, as Royals infielder Maikel García and San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arráez followed with RBI base knocks of their own to make it a 4-2 ballgame, a score that would hold through the final out.
Lorenzen is best remembered for his time with Philadelphia by hisno-hitter against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 9, 2023, just the 14th in Phillies franchise history, before his stats faltered down the stretch.
After being named an All-Star for the first and only time of his career in 2023, the Phillies acquired Lorenzen from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline in exchange for top prospect Hao-Yu Lee.
Since his half-season with the Phillies, Lorenzen has spent time with the Texas Rangers, Royals and now Rockies.
After Lorenzen took the loss and spoiled Italy’s undefeated 5-0 run through the WBC, former Phillies starter Ranger Suárez’s Venezuelan teammates will take on Bryce Harper and Team USA in the WBC championship game.