Texas Rangers Ace To Start World Baseball Classic Quarterfinal
Venezuela manager Omar López said Friday that Texas Rangers left-hander Martín Pérez will start against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals on Saturday.
That game is set for 6 p.m. CT at Loan Depot Park in Miami.
On Thursday, López said he hadn’t selected a starting pitcher. Since Venezuela had another off day before the game, he wasn’t in a hurry to decide.
He acknowledged that Pérez was an option. He started Venezuela’s pool play opener against the Dominican Republic, a 5-1 win. That game was Saturday and Pérez went 3 1/3 innings, giving up four hits, one run and two walks while striking out four.
That means Pérez will pitch on a week’s rest when he faces Team USA’s loaded lineup.
This will likely be Pérez last WBC appearance. The semifinal games are on Sunday and Monday, while the championship game is on Tuesday. Pitchers are limited to 65 pitches per outing due to WBC rules.
Team USA’s starter also has a Rangers connection. Lance Lynn, who will start, was a Rangers starter in 2019-20 before he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. Lynn was 22-14 with a 3.57 ERA in two seasons with the Rangers.
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