The World Baseball Classic has reached the quarterfinals stage. On Saturday, Team Italy will play Team Puerto Rico in what projects to be a competitive game. The 3 PM EST start time should allow baseball fans in Italy to watch the game at a reasonable hour as well.
Puerto Rico and Canada both advanced from Pool A with 3-1 overall records in the first round. The Puerto Rico team is a ball club that could make a serious run in the WBC.
Meanwhile, Italy surprised the baseball world with their 4-0 first round. Italy's upset over Team USA was shocking to say the least. Italy and the USA were the teams who advanced from Pool B.
So, what should fans expect to happen in the Italy-Puerto Rico WBC matchup on Saturday? Without further ado, here are three bold predictions for the game.
Vinnie Pasquantino draws at least 3 walks
Puerto Rico saw what Pasquantino accomplished on Wednesday against Team Mexico, as the Italy first baseman became the first player in WBC history to hit three home runs in a game. They are not going to want to let Pasquantino beat them.
As a result, Team Puerto Rico will surely be especially careful when pitching to Pasquantino on Saturday. He isn't a guy who always draws many walks, so there's a chance he could chase out of the zone. As long as Pasquantino offers a respectable amount of plate discipline on Saturday, it is not difficult to imagine him reaching first base at least three times via base-on-balls.
Nolan Arenado hits 2 home runs
Arenado may not be the same superstar-caliber player he once was, but he's still capable of coming through in the big moments. At some point, Arenado is likely going to have a big moment in the WBC. So far, he is slashing just .214/.250/.214 through four games played. He has yet to record an extra base-hit, and he's only had two RBI.
Nevertheless, Arenado is one of the best players on Team Puerto Rico's roster. He wants to make an impact in an effort to help the ball club advance in the tournament. Italy may not be as careful with Arenado as Puerto Rico will be with Pasquantino given their performances in the tournament so far, so the third baseman could end up seeing good pitches to hit.
Look for Arenado to make a crucial impact with a two-home run game.
Will two homers from Arenado be enough to win the contest, though?
Team Italy advances with competitive victory
Team Italy's lineup has been locked in throughout the tournament, especially in recent action. They scored 17 combined runs between their games on Tuesday and Wednesday against Team USA and Team Mexico.
Will two off days put an end to their momentum? While that is possible, Italy is poised to pick up where they left off. Of course, Team Puerto Rico's lineup can make things happen as well, so Saturday's contest could turn into a high-scoring matchup. In all reality, it would not be surprising to see either of these teams emerge victorious.
In the end, look for Vinnie Pasquantino's teammates to pick him up as he draws a plethora of walks. Team Italy will win this game by a narrow margin. One or two runs may end up making the difference in the end.
