U.S. tabs Roark for WBC semifinal showdown vs. Japan
Two wins shy of its first World Baseball Classic title, the United States is expected to send Tanner Roark to the mound Tuesday, as the 30-year-old right-hander has been told he'll start the win-or-go-home semifinal against Japan at Dodger Stadium, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
Roark, who finished 10th in National League Cy Young voting in 2016, got shelled in his only previous WBC outing, allowing three runs on three hits - including a solo shot from Manny Machado - and a pair of walks in 1 1/3 innings of relief in last Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Dominican Republic.
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Marcus Stroman, the exuberant Toronto Blue Jays right-hander who owns a 3.86 ERA through two WBC starts, is in line to start Wednesday should the United States advance to the finals, Rosenthal notes.