Great Britain Eliminates Brazil, Moves Into WBC Qualifier Final

NEW YORK—Great Britain defeated Brazil 4-3 in a tense matchup on Saturday at MCU Park in Brooklyn, eliminating Hall of Famer Barry Larkin’s club from tournament play and setting up a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday night against Israel for the final spot in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

After falling to Israel 5-2 Thursday, Great Britain stayed alive by clobbering Pakistan 14-0 in a game shortened by the mercy rule on Friday night.

Reliever Chris Reed earned the win with 4.2 innings of one-run ball, scattering seven hits and stranding an army of baserunners while throwing a qualifier-high 88 pitches. Drafted 16th overall in 2011 by the Dodgers, the London-born southpaw was 3-4, 2.78 in 20 games (nine starts) for Triple-A New Orleans this year.

Playing below the lights on a breezy, crisp night in the home of the Mets’ short-season affiliate Cyclones, Brazil left 11 men on base and was a paltry 3-for-14 with runners in scoring postion.

The Brazilians got on the board first with two outs in the top of the third. Leadoff hitter Gabriel Maciel singled up the middle against starter Blake Taylor, who was drafted in the second round by Pittsburgh in 2013 and pitched 10.2 innings out of the bullpen for Mets’ Rookie-level affiliate Kingsport this year. Irait Chirino singled on a full count, advancing Maciel to third. After a wild pitch put Chirino in scoring position, Leonardo Reginatto (5-for-12 with three RBIs and three steals in the qualifier) lined a single to right, clearing the bases and giving Brazil a 2-0 lead.

Reginatto, who spent time at both Double-A and Triple-A in the Twins organization this season, has a hearty 1.043 OPS in nine WBC games dating back to 2012. But the Brazilian-born infielder—who helped give his club an early advantage, and who Larkin believes will be in the big leagues soon—played a key role in coughing up that lead just a half inning later.

Brazil starter Andre Rienzo, who ranked among the top prospects in the White Sox system three times (No. 7 after 2012), was in trouble right away in the bottom of the third. Chavez Young singled up the middle to get things started. Rienzo was then called for a balk while trying to check on the runner, prompting a visit from longtime major league pitcher and pitching coach LaTroy Hawkins (75 wins and 127 saves over 21 major league seasons).

Rienzo (2.51 ERA with eight saves for Triple-A New Orleans in 2016), still visibly upset about the call, allowed a double to Kyle Simmons, which popped out of the glove of charging second baseman Lucas Rojo just inside the first base line. He then hit the speedy Antoan Richardson to load the bases with no outs.

Diamondbacks prospect Jasrado Chisholm was quickly down 0-2, but battled back with two seemingly close pitches and an appealed check-swing on a ball in the dirt. With each missed offering Rienzo became more animated, seemingly unraveling on the mound.

“When I play for the Brazil national team I always give my 110 percent and sometimes that affects our play,” Rienzo said through a translator. “Sometimes it’s really hard to control our emotion, especially when something like that happens.”

He seemed to rebound, however, striking out both Chisholm and Mets prospect Champ Stuart (seven hits in the qualifier). After Todd Isaacs ran the count full, Rienzo hit him with a pitch to force in a run and cut Brazil’s lead to 2-1; briefly putting his head in his hands with an incredulous expression on his face. Jordan Serena (drafted by the Angels in the 35th round last year) followed with a routine grounder to short that was bobbled by Reginatto, appearing to rush because of the speed on the bases.

“Andre threw an incredible game today. Some tough calls out there, close calls that didn’t go our way,” Larkin said. “Our defense and our hitting let these guys down.”

Rienzo’s antics even drew the ire of the Great Britain bench at one point. After striking out Chisholm for a third time to close out the fifth, the long-haired Marlins righthander appeared to yell toward the opposing dugout. Several players spilled onto the field, but the situation was quickly diffused by the umpires.

“I love Rienzo. He’s a great teammate and, you know, he had that little scuffle there,” said Reed, who played with his opponent in Triple-A. “He just gets fired up. He plays with passion and I appreciate him for that.”

Simmons scored along with Richardson from second although the ball never left the infield, giving Great Britain a 3-2 lead and making Rienzo the hard-luck loser despite striking out eight over five innings. Isaacs was gunned down at third after being a little too aggressive, but the damage was done.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a team with this much speed,” manager Liam Carroll said. “I think the bigger thing is there might not have ever been a team with this much heart either. Probably the play that sums that up the most is when Antoan went from second to home, just game-changing speed.”

Reed dodged trouble all night, starting in the fifth when he entered the game with runners on first and second and nobody out. The 26-year-old lefthander coerced a bunt popout from Maciel then struck out pinch-hitter Bo Bichette and Reginatto to extinguish the first of several threats.

“I certainly didn’t make it easy on myself or the team,” he said. “It was just bear down, go pitch by pitch, and trust my defense because we’re a good team.”

Simmons drove in an important insurance run against reliever Felipe Sales in the seventh, giving Great Britain a 4-2 lead.

Reinaldo Sato hit a one-out double in the eighth inning. An error by Albert Cartwright at second allowed Sato to score Brazil’s third and final run.

Reed crossed the WBC’s 85-pitch limitation with two outs in the ninth while facing 40-year-old Juan Carlos Muniz. The rules allow a pitcher to complete throwing to the current batter when the threshold is reached, and Muniz proceeded to line a full count double into the left-center field gap.

Representing Brazil’s last hope at avoiding elimination, Muniz threw his arms up emphatically in the direction of his team’s dugout as soon as he reached second.

Daniel Cooper came on to face Sato with the tying run in scoring position. On the righthander’s second pitch, Muniz inexplicably broke for third and was gunned down easily to end the game and Brazil’s chance to return to the World Baseball Classic.

“I think it surprised just about everybody in the ballpark. Surprised Chris Berset was able to throw the ball to third base. I just think some anxiety and some angst and just trying to be super aggressive,” Larkin said of the bumbled steal attempt. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that right there, but Muniz came up with a big hit. Certainly excited out there, just believe in that situation (he) just couldn’t control his emotion and had a mental lapse right there.”