Venezuela and Nicaragua, as of Tuesday afternoon, were playing as part of Pool D of the World Baseball Classic.
The two countries are currently in two different realities: Venezuela is undefeated and looking to punch their ticket to the next phase (or at least come awfully close to it) with a win; whereas Nicaragua is still looking for their first Classic victory.
This is Nicaragua’s last game of Pool D, and they lost their first three.
Venezuela, on the other hand, defeated the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
With the game tied at one, Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez drove in two runs with a single in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Venezuela takes the lead! Eugenio Suarez drives in 2 more and it's a 3-1 game! 🇻🇪
📺: FS2 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/sw6Qr907AF
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 14, 2023
That timely hit game Venezuela a 3-1 lead in the game.
Things unraveled for Nicaragua after starter Erasmo Ramirez tossed three scoreless frames.
As for Suarez, he is hitting .600 in the first two contests, with three RBI.
He has been one of the hottest hitters in the Venezuelan lineup together with Anthony Santander, Salvador Perez and David Peralta.
With a 1.267 OPS in the tournament after that run-scoring knock, Suarez is looking to set the tone for a great season with Seattle and help Venezuela win its first WBC title in history.
After hitting a whopping 49 home runs in 2019, he had 15 home runs in 2020 and 31 homers each in 2021 and 2022.
He is one of MLB’s safest bets for 30 home runs, even if his batting averages are usually not that high.
The Mariners will need him at his best if they want to achieve their objectives this season.
NEXT: Mariners Show Off All Their Stars Headed To The WBC
