Another Triston Casas home run helps keep USA baseball’s Olympics gold medal hopes alive

Stop me if you heard this one over the last few days: Triston Casas hit a home run for the United States at the Tokyo Olympics.

The Plantation American Heritage alumnus’ latest homer on the international stage — a no-doubter to straightaway center field — kept the United States’ hopes for a gold medal alive.

The two-run shot was all the run support Scott Kazmir needed as the United States defeated the Dominican Republic 3-1 at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in a knockout stage game Wednesday. Tyler Austin added an insurance run with a home run of his own in the fifth.

Casas, the No. 22 prospect in Major League Baseball according to Baseball America and a first baseman in the Boston Red Sox organization, is one of two players with three home runs in the Olympics. Israel’s Danny Valencia, a former Miami Hurricanes standout, is the other. His eight RBI lead the six-team field.

All three of Casas’ home runs gave the United States the lead at the time he hit them.

Casas also helped defensively before the home run on Wednesday. The Dominican Republic had the bases loaded and one out in the top of the first inning when Johan Mieses hit a chopper to the right side of the infield. Casas fielded the ball and fired to Mark Kolozsvary at home plate for the force out. Another fielder’s choice ended the inning to get the United States out unscathed.

Kazmir threw five scoreless innings of two-hit ball before handing the game off to the bullpen. Brandon Dickson, Scott McGough and Anthony Gose threw three scoreless innings, and David Robertson held the Dominican Republic to one run in the ninth to seal the win.

And with the win, the United States remains in contention to win a gold medal.

To get to that championship game, the United States needs to beat South Korea at 6 a.m. Thursday in a semifinal matchup. The United States already has a win over South Korea in this tournament, a 4-2 victory during the group play round.

If the United States wins on Thursday, it will play Japan for the gold medal at 6 a.m. Saturday. A loss means a rematch with the Dominican Republic at 11 p.m. Friday for the bronze medal.

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