New Headline: Garrett Whitlock Soars into the Series, Alex Cora Sees More to Come!
Red Sox's Alex Cora Confirms Garrett Whitlock's Availability Status For WBC Final originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The United States will take on Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic Championship Game on Tuesday, and both of the Red Sox 's stars will be available.
The United States will be the home team, and Roman Anthony is basically a lock to be in the starting lineup once again. However, Garrett Whitlock's status was not clear. He threw an inning in the 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic, and Mark DeRosa revealed on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday that Whitlock should be available.
However, on Tuesday, Alex Cora confirmed that Whitlock will be available for DeRosa if he needs him, per MassLive's Christopher Smith . This is great news for the United States, as Whitlock has been great all tournament. Against the Dominican Republic, Whitlock delivered a three-up, three-down eighth inning with two strikeouts.
His strikeouts came against Juan Soto and Manny Machado. He got Machado to strike out on a pitch he chased low and away. In a 2-1 game in the eighth inning, he was able to keep the Dominican Republic off the board with two of their best hitters coming to the plate.
Venezuela's lineup is also dangerous and full of stars. Whitlock could end up being a huge part of Tuesday night's game. He was one of the best relievers in baseball last season, and it's no surprise he is performing well on the World Baseball Classic stage.