Trea Turner does what only Ken Griffey Jr. had done

4:17 AM UTC MIAMI– Trea Turner’s finest understood for his blazing speed– and possibly his artistic popup slides when he races around the bases. Over the last 2 nights however, he’s become a hulking slugger, assisting Team USA reach the World Baseball Classic last on Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET, FS1). Turner’s multi-homer video game is the 2nd in WBC history for Team USA, signing up with Ken Griffey Jr., who achieved the task in 2006 versus South Africa. Maybe Turner got a couple of ideas from when Junior entered the batting cage throughout the group’s exercise on Friday. Griffey is Team USA’s striking coach. After discovering that reality in the postgame interview, Turner got thrilled for Monday’s BP session. “I simply can’t wait to inform him,” Turner stated with a smile. “I do not understand if he understands that. I didn’t understand that, however can’t wait to have that discussion with him in the cage tomorrow. It’s going to be enjoyable for me.” Turner likewise set a WBC record by taping his 2nd successive video game with 4 RBIs. “I do not understand any of these things,” Turner stated. “I’m simply attempting to win with these men. I believe that’s why we are here. We do not care who does what. We wish to win. That things’s beautiful cool. I constantly state that those specific things are for my household. I understand they’re happy of me which things’s for them. For me, I simply like winning. I like playing baseball, contending and triumphing.” Continuing to bat in the nine-hole, Turner struck a solo crowning achievement off Roenis Elías in the bottom of the 2nd to offer USA a 3-1 lead. After throwing out his batting gloves– obviously he’s so red-hot that his very swing can tear the material apart– he struck a three-run shot in the 6th inning to assist the United States take a double-digit lead. Take this, superstitious individuals: “It had a huge hole in it and I increased to bat and I resembled, ‘Man, I do not wish to strike with this huge hole. I understand I’m going to nasty a ball off and my entire palm is going to be revealing,'” Turner stated after the triumph. “So, I practically tossed them away prior to the at-bat.” Turner didn’t truly care one method or another about the gloves, too. “I’m not a superstitious man. I believe in 2020 I had like a 13-, 14-game striking streak and I went to go alter my batting gloves and I believed, ‘Man, I should not alter ’em.’ Kevin Long– my striking coach at the time– stated, ‘It’s not the batting gloves. No one appreciates the batting gloves.’ He broke that for me. I do not truly take notice of that things anymore.” Turner and Team USA seek to effectively protect their WBC title when they deal with the winner of Monday’s Mexico-Japan semifinal in Tuesday night’s national championship.