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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
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Tokyo 2020: USA baseball team clinches Olympics slot with aid of MLB veterans

  • Team USA join reigning champions South Korea, Japan and underdogs Israel and Mexico in the Olympics, with one more spot up for grabs

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USA centre fielder Jarren Duran (24) gestures to the dugout after a single in the fifth inning against Venezuela. USA beat Venezuela to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Photo: USA Today
Reuters
The United States baseball team won a spot at the Tokyo Olympics after defeating Venezuela 4-2 on Saturday and securing the best record in the Americas qualifier tournament.

Team USA will join reigning champions South Korea, Japan and underdogs Israel and Mexico in the Olympics. A final spot will be up for grabs among the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Australia and Netherlands during a June 22-26 tournament in Puebla, Mexico.

Baseball is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2008. Organisers voted it and softball off the regular programme but brought them back temporarily for Tokyo, where the sports are beloved.

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The US Major League Baseball season conflicts with the Olympics and it has long refused to break to let players on big-league rosters compete on the international stage, including qualifiers. Instead of MLB stars, several countries including the United States rely on inexperienced prospects and cast-off veterans.
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Former Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Todd Frazier notched four hits for the United States on Saturday, scoring two runs and driving in two. Left-handed outfielder Eric Filia hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning off former Washington Nationals champion Anibal Sanchez to give the United States a lead.

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