Anthony Santander didn’t waste any time making his presence felt at the World Baseball Classic on Saturday.
In his first plate appearance in Venezuela’s WBC opener, the Orioles’ right fielder smacked a solo home run in the second inning to help lead Venezuela to a 5-1 victory over the Dominican Republic.
The blast tied the score at 1 after the Dominican Republic took the lead in the first inning. Santander turned on a 99 mph sinker from Sandy Alcántara, who was pitching in his home stadium in Miami’s LoanDepot Park, and deposited it 393 feet to right field.
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The long ball wasn’t Santander’s only highlight of the game, though. In the eighth inning, he made a crucial diving catch that stymied a potential Dominican Republic rally. The Dominican Republic had runners on first and second with one out, but Santander’s grab robbed Jeimer Candelario of a likely RBI hit.
Santander then tripled in the bottom half of the eighth and scored on a single from Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suárez to put Venezuela up 5-1. The win for Venezuela was its first over the Dominican Republic in the WBC. Santander, who hit a career-high 33 homers for the Orioles last season, ended the night 2-for-4 with the game’s only home run, an RBI and two runs scored.
Orioles minor league reliever Darwinzon Hernandez didn’t pitch for Venezuela in the win. Hernandez, who Baltimore acquired from the Boston Red Sox in January, was a nonroster invitee to spring training.
Former Orioles third baseman Manny Machado went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a walk as the Dominican Republic’s No. 3 hitter.
A minor league arm gets big game experience
Ryan Long spent the 2022 season with Low-A Delmarva, but Saturday he held his own against perhaps the best lineup he will ever face.
Long, who the Orioles drafted in the 17th round of the 2021 draft, pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief for Great Britain in its 6-2 loss to the United States at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Long, 23, entered with one out in the fourth inning with Great Britain trailing 2-1. He got St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado to pop out, but Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber took him deep to put Team USA up 5-1.
Long then retired four of the next six batters he faced without allowing another run. He tossed a scoreless fifth that ended with him striking out Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout on a 94 mph fastball. He also got Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto and New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil out in his WBC opener.
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Long ended his outing allowing three hits and one earned run in 1 2/3 innings with one strikeout and no walks. Last season with Delmarva, Long went 7-5 with a 3.10 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 72 2/3 innings.
Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins didn’t appear in Team USA’s opening victory, as Tucker, Trout and Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts manned the outfield.
Former Orioles pitcher Vance Worley started the game for Great Britain, allowing three hits, three walks and two unearned runs in 2 2/3 innings.
Looking ahead
Orioles right-handed pitcher Dean Kremer is set to start for Israel in its opener against Nicaragua on Sunday.
Kremer, 27, emerged as one of Baltimore’s top starting pitchers in 2022 with an 8-7 record and a 3.23 ERA in 125 1/3 innings. He projects to again be in the Orioles’ starting rotation this season.
Orioles minor league pitcher Daniel Federman, who split his 2022 season between Low-A Delmarva and High-A Aberdeen, is also on Team Israel.
First pitch for Israel’s game against Nicaragua in Miami is noon. Santander and Venezuela play Puerto Rico on Sunday at 7 p.m. Mullins and Team USA take on Mexico at 10 p.m.