TOKYO, Japan — Team USA baseball kept their gold medal hopes alive with a victory on Wednesday morning, powered in part by a home run from Conyers native Tyler Austin.
Austin, who also hit a home run earlier in the Olympic baseball tournament, hit a solo shot in the fifth inning to make it 3-1 against the Dominican Republic, the eventual final score as the U.S. advanced to the semifinal.
Team USA is looking to still get into the gold medal game via the backdoor of the loser's bracket, after they were beaten by Japan on Monday.
The Americans will face South Korea, who were beaten by Japan themselves in a 5-2 semifinal loss in the winner's bracket. If they can win that game, they'll advance to the final to get a rematch with the Olympic hosts Japan.
Austin, serving mostly as the team's designated hitter, has been on a tear in Tokyo. Through the team's four games at the Olympics, Austin is hitting .375/.444/.875 with the two home runs and five RBIs.
In Wednesday's game, first baseman Triston Casas knocked a two-run homer, his third of the Tokyo Games, to put Team USA ahead in the first inning.
Former longtime major leaguer Scott Kazmir tossed five shutout innings, with five strikeouts and a walk, and former MLB All-Star reliever David Robertson shut the door in the ninth.
Austin is in Tokyo bringing the experience of parts of four Major League seasons to Team USA, spent with the Yankees, Twins, Giants and Brewers. He was last in the Majors in 2019, when he primarily played in San Francisco.
The Conyers native was drafted out of high school by the Yankees in 2010, signing with New York and eventually reaching the big leagues for his debut in 2016.
The effective play-in game for the gold medal game between Team USA and South Korea is scheduled for tomorrow at 6 a.m. ET.