Team Italy has kept up their undefeated World Baseball Classic run all the way to the semifinals. Now, they'll be taking on Team Venezuela with the winner battling for the WBC title.
When Team Italy takes to the field, Michael Lorenzen will be on the mound, via Jon Morosi of the MLB Network. The last time the current Colorado Rockies got a start, he helped Team Italy defeat Team USA, 8-6.
In the win, Lorenzen threw 4.2 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two. With Team Italy holding a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning, and an 8-0 advantage in the sixth, Lorenzen's body of work was more than enough for the victory.
Not many expected Team Italy to be at this stage of the WBC. But even if they did make a run, their semifinal opponent was widely anticipated to be defending champion Team Japan. Those expectations have all been thrown out the window. Italy and Venezuela will have an opportunity to shock the world. When it comes to the Italians, they're putting their trust in Lorenzen.
Whenever the WBC ends, the right-hander will be trying to conquer the confines of Coors Field. He signed a one-year deal with the Rockies over the offseason. Entering his 12th season in MLB, Lorenzen is looking to prove he has more than enough left in the tank.
His semifinal start will tell the same story. Another win will have Team Italy on the precipice of history. If it looks anything like it did against Team USA, manager Francisco Cervelli and company will be confident seeing Lorezen start the game on the bump.
