Trea Turner has taken over the 2023 World Baseball Classic!
In a matter of 24 hours, the Philadelphia Phillies shortstop has singlehandedly put Team USA on his back, delivering in back-to-back win-or-go-home tournament matchups.
The Turner show began Saturday night against Venezuela. With the US trailing 7-5 in the eighth inning with two outs, Turner blasted a clutch grand slam that punched Team USA’s ticket to the semifinal round. But Turner didn’t end there.
On Sunday, just 24 hours after playing hero, Turner did it again. The two-time All-Star homered in the second and sixth inning against Cuba in an all-out scoreboard rally from the United States, raising Turner’s home run total to a WBC-leading four.
Watch Turner launch his second of two moon shots at LoanDepot Park, courtesy of SportsCenter:
Turner joined Baseball Hall of Famer and Team USA hitting coach Ken Griffey Jr. as the only two players to hit multiple homers in a single game while representing the United States in the WBC, according to The Athletic. After his fourth, Turner’s hitting split rose to .389/.450/1.056, which also lead all WBC hitters.
The 29-year-old is leaving quite the impression before even making his Phillies debut. During the offseason, Philadelphia signed Turner to a massive 11-year, $300 million contract agreement. Turner finished with three base hits, responsible for driving in four runs against Cuba.
The US rolled to a 14-2 win over Cuba and continues it search for a second straight WBC crown following its 2017 victory. They’ll await the winner of Monday night’s semifinal game between Mexico and Japan.
