Before the WBC Pool C opener, Colombia manager Jolbert Cabrera talked about how excited he was to see his team in action. He also predicted that his squad would win the match. Well, he was right because Colombia won against Mexico.
The young squad defeated Mexico 5-4 in extra innings. Also, Cabrera praised first baseman Reynaldo Rodriguez for his heroics during the game. According to sports betting platform experts, Rodriguez had a two-run home run in the fifth inning and an RBI in the seventh.
Rodriguez was not supposed to be part of the lineup in the WBC. It is because he hasn’t played in affiliate baseball since 2016. However, Rodriguez spent three of the last four years with the Tigres de Quintana Roo in Mexico. Also, he played for Mexico in the Caribbean Series last February.
Colombia Won Against Mexico
Things changed for Rodriguez after his daughter was born. Rodriguez accepted the request to play for Colombia in the WBC. Also, his love for his country showed in the fifth inning when he sent Julio Urias’ pitch out of Chase Field.
At that point, Urias retired the first 12 Colombian batters. According to pay per head sources, Rodriguez knew the ball was in his zone. However, Mexico tied the game after Randy Arozarena hit a homer at the bottom of the same inning.
In the seventh inning, Rodriguez and Alex Verdugo hit an RBI single for their respective teams, and the score remained 4-4 going into the final inning. Then, to the boos of the Mexican fans in attendance, Colombia intentionally walked 2021 AL Rookie of the Year Arozarena with the winning run on second base.
However, Cabrera’s clever management of his relieving force included bypassing Arozarena in favor of Verdugo. Experts of pay per head bookie services said that right-hander Guillermo Zuiga was pitching for the Dodgers. However, he struggled terribly against left-handed batters (1.062 OPS) the previous season at Double-A Tulsa.
