Michael Lorenzen entered the semifinal game against Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic with the goal of keeping runs off the board. But things quickly got out of control. Italy allowed three runs while he was on the mound, and his brother Anthony Lorenzen took to X to respond to the critics.
“Man sometimes it’s hard to keep your mouth shut as a family member of an MLB player… especially from people who clearly don’t know baseball and like to run their mouths behind a screen and who have never accomplished anything on a major stage in their own lives…,” Anthony wrote on X (@ALorenzen1227).
Before the semifinal, Michael had delivered a strong outing against Team USA in pool play. Italy won that game 8-6, and he threw 4.2 innings without allowing a single run. There was even an expectation he could start against Venezuela, but manager Francisco Cervelli ultimately went with Aaron Nola instead.
What would have happened with Lorenzen if Italy had won?
That was part of the criticism. Many questioned why Michael Lorenzen was used as a reliever, since that decision would have taken away his chance to start the final if Italy had advanced. Had they won, Italy would likely have been forced into a bullpen game against Team USA, which will be the home team in the championship.
Anthony did not stop at calling out the critics. He also showed respect to the opponent. “Keep your head up Team Italy! You guys played exciting baseball and had an amazing run! Baseball will baseball. Congrats to Team Venezuela! Team USA owes Team Italy a win now,” he wrote.
Despite the tough resultin the semifinal, Italy’s overall performance was impressive. It was the deepest run in the country’s history at the World Baseball Classic, and considering most of the roster was born in the United States, reaching the semifinal undefeated stands as a major achievement, something even Team USA did not accomplish.