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TOKYO – Team USA and Venezuela will play one another for the third time at the 2024 Premier12 presented by RAXUS, this time in the bronze medal game on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. local/10:00 p.m. ET (Nov. 23) at the Tokyo Dome.

PITCHING MATCHUP

Casey Lawrence (USA) vs. Mario Sanchez (VEN)

Casey Lawrence gets the start for the U.S.

SUPER ROUND STANDINGS

Japan (3-0)
Chinese Taipei (1-2)
Team USA (1-2)
Venezuela (1-2)

LAST TIME OUT

Ryan Ward delivered a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth inning to lead Team USA to a 6-5 win in a Super Round thriller against Venezuela. The U.S. had a 5-0 lead in the contest thanks to two RBIs apiece from Matt Shaw and Chandler Simpson as well as an RBI double by Carson Williams, but Venezuela fought back and capped a comeback with a three-run homer in the eighth to tie the game. Ward’s game-winning homer was his fifth of the tournament to lead all players at the Premier12; he joined Trea Turner as the only two U.S. players in the last decade to hit five home runs in a single tournament. Touki Toussaint started the contest and was brilliant through four shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four. Antonio Menendez provided solid relief and Zane Mills got the win, registering the final four outs of the contest.

HISTORY AGAINST VENEZUELA

Since first meeting at the 2000 Pan American Cup, Team USA holds a slight 8-7 advantage. The two sides have three met times at the Premier12, including twice so far in the 2024 iteration. Before the U.S. played Venezuela in this year’s Premier12, the last meeting between Team USA and Venezuela came at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when Trea Turner lifted the stars and stripes to a 9-7 quarterfinal round victory.

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM

Team USA and Venezuela meet for the third time in the 2024 Premier12, marking the second time that the two nations have faced off three different times in the same tournament. In 2009, the U.S. and Venezuela matched up three times at the World Baseball Classic, with Venezuela taking two of the three games.

BATTLE FOR BRONZE

Today’s game marks the second consecutive Premier12 tournament that Team USA will compete in the bronze medal game. The U.S. played for bronze in 2019, falling on a walk-off single against Mexico. A bronze medal victory today would give Team USA its first-ever Premier12 bronze after it took home silver in the first iteration of the tournament in 2015.

RYAN RAKES

With his ninth-inning homer against Venezuela on Saturday, Ryan Ward now has five homers at the Premier12 to lead all players. All five of Ward’s home runs have come in Team USA victories, and he joins Trea Turner as the only two U.S. players in the last decade to hit five home runs in a single tournament. 71% of Ward’s hits at the Premier12 have landed over the wall.

Ryan Ward is having one of the best individual tournaments in Team USA history

STARTING OFF STRONG

With Touki Toussaint’s four shutout innings on Saturday, Team USA starters lowered their collective ERA to 1.38. U.S. starters have allowed just four runs in 26 innings and have struck out 31 batters to just six walks. Rich Hill has carried much of the load for the starting rotation, turning in 10.1 scoreless frames.

LAWRENCE RETURNS TO JAPAN

Sunday’s start won’t be Casey Lawrence’s first time ever pitching in Tokyo. The veteran right hander spent the 2019 season as a member of the NPB’s Hiroshima Carp and made 22 appearances across two levels.

SHAW-SOME

Matt Shaw drove in two runs in Saturday’s win and now has 14 RBIs in the tournament, the most of any player and three ahead of Ryan Ward, who has the second most runs driven in. Shaw has had four games so far in the tournament where he has driven in two runs, including both contests against Venezuela.

SIMPSON’S STREAK

Chandler Simpson picked up two hits against Venezuela on Saturday to extend his hitting streak to eight games. The speedy leadoff hitter has at least one hit in all eight tournament games, including four games with multiple knocks, and leads all players in the tournament with 15 hits. In addition, he has stolen nine bases so far in tournament play, the most of any U.S. player in a single tournament in team history.

Chandler Simpson leads the tournament in hits and stolen bases

THE FUTURE IS NOW

Six players on Team USA’s roster have played in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, including five players who competed in the event in 2024: Drake Baldwin, Justin Crawford, Termarr Johnson, Matt Shaw, and Chandler Simpson. Crawford also earned a spot in the 2023 iteration of the Futures Game, while Willie MacIver played in the event in 2019.

TOP SPECTS

The U.S. roster features four players who rank in the MLB Pipeline Top 100, including two players who are the top-ranked prospect for their respective Club. Carson Williams ranks as the fourth-best prospect in baseball and atop Tampa Bay’s Top 30 Prospects, while Matt Shaw leads the way for the Cubs and is the 22nd-ranked prospect in the sport. Additionally, Justin Crawford sits at No. 53 and Termarr Johnson ranks No. 75 in the Top 100.

BIG LEAGUERS

The U.S. roster features nine players with MLB playing experience, combining for 57 big-league seasons. Rich Hill leads the way with 20 MLB seasons under his belt, while Dan Altavilla, Anthony Gose, Spencer Patton, and Touki Toussaint bring at least five seasons of big-league time to the roster. Zac Grotz, Casey Lawrence, Chris Okey, and Cam Vieaux have also had stints in the major leagues.