Kyle Schwarber’s Fifth-Inning Home Run Ignites Team USA’s 9-1 Drubbing Of Great Britain

On a night where Team USA was in a slumber for nearly half of the game against Great Britain, Kyle Schwarber was able to awaken the United States with a two-run home run for a 9-1 beatdown of Great Britain.

It was an example where no matter how long the U.S. offense is held down, any player from its all-star lineup is capable of marring an opposing pitcher with just one swing of the bat. And that one swing of the bat, courtesy of Schwarber, was just the medicine his team needed for the victory.

Meanwhile, the U.S. pitching staff was the unsung hero, completely owning the British after ace Tarik Skubal allowed a leadoff home run against Nate Eaton on his first pitch of the game. In the process, the Red, White, and Blue struck out 17 batters, including saddling Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the golden sombrero.

Team USA’s Offense Was Inexplicably Held Down…

The first four innings were mute for Team USA. They went down quietly in the first, as Schwarber, Alex Bregman, and Aaron Judge had a groundout, a lineout, and another groundout, respectively. Singles by Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony were squandered after an inning-ending groundout by Ernie Clement.

The third and fourth innings fared even worse for the U.S. as its only baserunner was Will Smith, who reached on a walk with two outs in the fourth. Judge, Bryce Harper, and Henderson all proceeded to strike out to put an end to the inning.

…Until Kyle Schwarber Came To the Rescue

But then the fifth inning came, and the timbre of the game switched drastically. After Anthony was fanned to lead off, Clement was able to reach first base via a throwing error by Great Britain Third Baseman Ivan Johnson. The next batter, Pete Crow-Armstrong, hit a double on a ground ball to right field, allowing Clement to move to third base with one out.

This brought Schwarber to the plate. A wild pitch by Andre Scrubb allowed Clement to score from third to knot the game 1-1. Then the Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter (2-4, 2 RBI) was able to give his team the lead with a 427-foot two-run blast to right field, causing fans at Daikin Park to erupt as the United States’ bats finally were showing signs of life.

Henderson added to the lead with a two-run single, finishing a 5-run fifth inning. The Baltimore Oriole went 4-of-5 on the night.

Team USA added three more runs in the sixth after a sac-fly by Bregman, a single by Judge, and another sac-fly by Smith. He was the only batter for the U.S. who did not record a hit. Bregman drove in the final run with his second sac-fly in the seventh for a 9-1 lead.

Tarik Skubal, Team USA Pitching Staff Sensational

As the U.S. bats were in a slumber for the first four innings, the pitching was more than up to task to keep the game close. Yes, Skubal did allow a first-inning home run on his very first pitch, but he quickly found his rhythm, fanning five British hitters (including striking out the side in the third inning) without a walk in three dominant innings.

Taking over for Skubal was Clay Holmes, who proved to be even more dynamic. In his three innings of work, Holmes sat down six batters with strikeouts, five of which came consecutively in the fourth and fifth innings; the fifth was particularly impressive for Holmes as he was economical in striking out the side on just 11 pitches.

The combination of David Bednar, Griffin Jax, and Brad Keller closed it out for Team USA with three innings without allowing a baserunner, sprinkling in six strikeouts to bring the team total to 17 on the night. With the win, the U.S. improved to 2-0 in World Baseball Classic Pool B play ahead of its clash with Mexico on Monday.