Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run and Brice Turang had three hits and four RBIs to lead the United States to a 15-5 win over Brazil in its World Baseball Classic opener Friday night.
With one out and one on in the first, Judge connected off Bo Takahashi at Houston’s Daikin Park.
Lucas Ramirez — with his father, 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez, in attendance — hit two home runs for Brazil. He cut the lead to 2-1 with his leadoff blast, and his solo shot in the eighth pulled Brazil within 8-5.
At 20 years, 49 days, he became the youngest player in WBC history with a multihomer game.
Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch in the fifth to push the Americans’ lead to 4-1. Turang cleared the bases with his double to left two pitches later to make it 7-1.
Brazil is in the WBC for just the second time and first since 2013. The team fell to 0-4 all time in the tournament after losing to Japan, Cuba and China in 2013.
Another highlight for Brazil came when 17-year-old high school senior Joseph Contreras got Judge to ground into a bases-loaded double play to end the second inning. Contreras, the youngest player in the WBC this year, is the son of pitcher José Contreras, who played 11 MLB seasons.
Lucas Rojo hit an RBI single for Brazil in the seventh before a two-run shot by Victor Mascai off Michael Wacha cut the lead to 7-4.
Bryce Harper’s RBI single got things going in the ninth as the U.S. tacked on seven more runs. The Americans walked 17 times and forced Brazil to throw 221 pitches.
On Saturday, Brazil faces Italy and the U.S. plays Britain.