MIAMI — Trea Turner stood in front of the USA clubhouse door late Saturday night at loanDepot Park, and was in a hurry.
He needed to get back inside.
He had something extraordinary to watch.
No, not his game-winning grand slam, which lifted Team USA to an exhilarating 9-7 comeback victory over Venezuela, vaulting them into the World Baseball Classic semifinals Sunday night (7 p.m. ET, FOX) against Cuba.
He needed to see the reaction.
He knows that he jumped up and down the moment the ball left his bat, sailing over the left-field wall, screaming and bouncing while rounding the bases.
“I’m always excited, but I just don’t necessarily show it,’’ Turner said. “It’s the most I’ve ever yelled on a field.’’
When Turner reached home plate, Mike Trout had his hands on J.T. Realmuto’s shoulders ready to leap-frog him. Nolan Arenado was screaming. Kyle Schwarber looked like he was going to tackle him.
And Pete Alonso was searching for his bat.
What?
“Pete bat-flipped my homer,’’ Turner said. “He was (standing) on-deck. He couldn’t find his bat after everyone was out there because, I don’t know, I got to watch the video.’’
That’s why he wanted to get back into that clubhouse and watch the tape over and over, just to see his teammates’ reactions.
“I want to watch those guys,’’ Turner said, “I think that’s funnier than me.’’
The entire evening was almost a blur to Turner, and really to everyone in attendance at loanDepot Park, who witnessed one of the most thrilling, exhilarating, breathtaking games in their lifetimes.
“Being honest with you,’’ USA manager Mark DeRosa said, “it’s one of the greatest games I’ve ever been a part of. The passion in this building was absolutely incredible.’’
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It lived up to all of the hype, and much more, with the sellout crowd of 35,792 standing on their feet virtually the entire game, screaming until their lungs burned.
“It was the loudest, for sure,’’ Turner said. “When they scored that sixth run (on Ronald Acuna’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning), it might have been the loudest I’ve ever heard a baseball stadium.’’
This is a guy who has played 849 career regular-season games, another 43 games in the…