World Baseball Classic thread

[MSUJet85]

For those interested

Korea shuts out Chinese Taipei in WBC opener
By Jim Allen
Special to ESPN.com
click this

TOKYO -- Korea exorcized the demon that has haunted the baseball-mad nation for the past 2½ years, defeating Chinese Tapei 2-0 in the opening game of the first-ever World Baseball Classic on Friday at Tokyo Dome.

A procession of major-league pitchers held off bitter Asian rival Chinese Taipei to put Korea one step closer to advancing to the second round in Anaheim, Calif.

Jae Seo of the Los Angeles Dodgers worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings and Chan Ho Park of the San Diego Padres pitched the final three innings to complete the shutout.

Seo, who allowed two hits and two walks, got the win, while Park, who gave up a hit and a walk, picked up the save.

But things got tight in the ninth inning, reminding everyone of Korean baseball's greatest nightmare. A Korean defensive meltdown in November 2003 at Sapporo, Japan allowed Chinese Taipei to overturn a two-run lead in the ninth and virtually knock Korea out of qualifying for the Athens Olympics.

That defeat has weighed heavily on Korean pride for years, and Korea is the only Group A team with its full complement of major-league players.

Even though Chinese Taipei put itself in position to repeat history in the ninth with a leadoff double and a two-out single off Park, there was no let up. Instead, a brilliant play by shortstop Jin Man Park, a Sapporo veteran, put the Koreans in the win column.

Manager Kim In Suk, believes the major leaguers were the difference in Tokyo, as MLB had prevented them from participating in Sapporo.

"If we had our major leaguers, I think we would have won in Sapporo," Kim said. "Chinese Taipei has really improved since then. If we didn't have our major leaguers, it would have been very tough to win today.

"This game meant more than just one game."

Korea can now clinch a spot in Anaheim's quarterfinal Pool 1 with a win over Pool A weakling China on Saturday.

Sung-Heon Hong broke the ice in the fourth inning, putting Korea in front with an RBI double off starter En-Yu Lin, who was rapidly approaching his 65-pitch limit when Hong came to the plate. With two outs and a man on second, the Korean catcher grounded a pitch just inside the third-base line and into the corner to stake his club to the lead.

Lin, Chinese Professional Baseball's 2005 rookie of the year, took the loss. He had pitched out of trouble in each of the the first three innings but Hong's double, one of four hits by Korea, proved his undoing.

In the bottom of the fourth, Korean starter Seo was also approaching his pitch limit as well. Unlike his Chinese Taipei counterpart, manager Kim pulled the plug and went to side-armer Byung-Hyun Kim, who stranded the tying run at second base.

Korea captain Jong-Beom Lee, who played in Japan a decade ago, made it 2-0 in the fifth with an RBI double off lefty Ying-Chieh Lin, who will begin his Japanese career this season.

Byun-Hyun Kim pitched a 1-2-3 fifth before leaving with one out and a runner on second for lefty Dae-Sung Koo. Koo, who spent four years in Japan before joining the New York Mets, allowed Chinese Taipei to put the tying run on with one out, but escaped unscathed.

Chan Ho Park came in the seventh and whatever hopes Chinese Taipei had faded with six straight outs by the big right-hander, who struck out three in his three-inning stint.

"Of course we had another closer ready, but [before the ninth] I consulted with the pitching coaches and we felt Park could do the job," said the skipper. "And he did."

Because he remained under 50 pitches, Park will be available when Korea takes on Japan on Sunday.

"I didn't predict I'd pitch that long, but the pitching coach and the manager had faith in me."

Korea 2, Chinese Taipei 0 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Japan hits three HRs, beats China 18-2
By Jim Allen
Special to ESPN.com
click this

TOKYO -- The World Baseball Classic's first day opened with a nail-biter and finished with a bloodletting as Japan crushed China 18-2 on Friday in Pool A play at Tokyo Dome.

After Korea overcame Chinese Taipei 2-0 in the opener, the second game followed suit for four innings as Japan took an early lead only to see China fight back with a two-run homer to tie it off tough right-hander Koji Uehara.

Light-hitting Japan infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka broke the tie with a three-run homer in the fifth and Uehara overcame a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the inning to stem China's advance. The game rapidly turned from close contest to rout to massacre, ending after eight innings because of a rule that halts games when one team has a lead of 15 runs after five innings or 10 runs after seven.

Uehara got the win, although the 65-pitch limit took him out of his game and made his pitching too predictable.

"I was conscious of it [the 65-pitch limit for first-round games], and in the fourth inning, I thought we were playing well, so I could pitch into the sixth inning," said Uehara. "So in the fourth and fifth innings, I was throwing almost nothing but strikes, I wasn't pitching the way I usually do, so the results were bad.

"Next time, in the second round, I will go back to a more balanced effort. That was the lesson I learned. I am really happy we won, but honestly speaking I am almost ready to cry over tonight's performance."

China manager Jim Lefebvre picked up on Uehara's plan and told his men to layoff Uehara's deadly forkball until they were down to their last strike. As a result, his players racked up seven hits and kept the game close until China's pitching depth proved fatal.

"The pitchers who came in the later innings were younger, less experienced and did not have enough control," said catcher Wei Wang, whose homer silenced Tokyo Dome and the crowd of 15,869 on hand.

Although Uehara lost that battle, he survived despite his efforts to economize. The Yomiuri Giants ace notched six strikeouts over five innings for the win, while allowing seven hits and hitting one batter with a pitch.

Naoyuki Shimizu pitched the final three innings for the save as Japan pulled even with Korea with one win apiece.

On Saturday, Korea will try to secure its spot in the quarterfinal round in Anaheim, Calif., against China, while Taiwan will try to even its record with a win over Japan.

Japan took the lead in the top of the second thanks to the unbridled hustle of cleanup hitter Nobuhiko Matsunaka. After legging out a leadoff double, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks' hero advanced on a groundout and scored from third on a fly to shallow left center by Akinori Iwamura.

China's defense gave up a soft run in the second after leadoff man Tomoya Satozaki reached on an error and went to second on a wild pitch. The Chiba Lotte Marines catcher took third on a flyout to right and scored on Ichiro Suzuki's groundout to second.

In the bottom of the fourth, Wang tied it, but the homer sounded the alarm.

"Nobody expected that," said Japan manager Sadaharu Oh. "Not Uehara, not me, not our players, not the fans, not even their players. But I think it turned on a switch for us, woke us up."

Things started to fall apart for China when its second pitcher Quan-zheng Zhao hit Hawks speedster Munenori Kawasaki with one out in the top of the fifth. The speedster stole second and Ichiro beat out one of his trademark singles to short, bringing up the Marines' Nishioka, who tried some small ball first.

"Before I entered the box, I thought about hitting one out and being the hero," said Nishioka, who has 10 homers in 668 career PL at-bats. "But then I thought, 'if I take a big cut and miss, that wouldn't be so good,' so I thought if I could roll one, it would allow Kawasaki, who runs well, to score. So I tried to bunt my way on.

"But in the middle of the at-bat, I thought, 'Why not try and hit it over the outfielders heads?' and as it turned out I got a homer."

Kosuke Fukudome of the Chunichi Dragons followed with a blast to right to make it 6-2 Japan.

The lead might have looked safe but the Chinese continued to poke away, loading the bases with three singles in the bottom of the fifth. It took a well-turned 6-4-3 double play by shortstop Kawasaki and second baseman Nishioka to prevent further Chinese incursions.

"That was a big play for us, one of the keys," Oh said. "Our defense is good."

After that inning, however, Oh's men opened the offensive floodgates and drowned their opponents until tournament rules came to China's assistance and ended the slaughter after eight innings.

Although manager Oh has talked of playing small ball, he was happy to see his club's extra-base potential realized in Tokyo with three homers, two triples and four doubles.

"Actually, when I mentioned 'small baseball,' I was talking about when we go to California," Oh said.

"I wasn't referring to the Asian round, where we have the most power. I didn't want to play little ball here. But once we go to the United States, we might have to change our tactics."

Japan 18, China 2 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Pool A
China
Chinese Taipei
Japan
Korea

Pool B
Canada
Mexico
United States
South Africa

Pool C
Cuba
Netherlands
Panama
Puerto Rico

Pool D
Australia
Venezuela
Italy
Dominican Republic

[Collingwood]

Australia are the dark horses of the WBC i reckon we can go all the way

[Cellar-door]

Australia are the dark horses of the WBC i reckon we can go all the way
Wow what a brutal draw, 2 top teams, in B they might have had a chance to advance

[The Dark Knight]

Pool A
China
Chinese Taipei
Japan
Korea

Pool B
Canada
Mexico
United States
South Africa

Pool C
Cuba
Netherlands
Panama
Puerto Rico

Pool D
Australia
Venezuela
Italy
Dominican Republic
Final 4:
Japan
USA
Cuba
Venezuela

[PinPointPenning10]

I'd say Japan, US, Puerto Rico, DR

[typeOnegative13NY]

its funny,half these guys probably cant read what written across their jersey,even though it says their country.

[MSUJet85]

KOREA 10, CHINA 1

TOKYO (Ticker) -- Sung-Yeop Lee showed that the Koreans could
be dangerous even with their major leaguers on the bench.

Lee homered twice and drove in five runs while Min Han Son
combined with four relievers on a two-hitter as Korea rolled to
a 10-1 victory over China.

Byung Kyu Lee had two hits and two RBI for Korea (2-0), which
can clinch a spot in the second round of the World Baseball
Classic if Japan (1-0) defeats Chinese Taipei (0-1) later
Saturday. The top two teams from Pool A will face the first-
and second-place squads from Pool B, which included the United
States, in the next round.

China (0-2) was eliminated.

In Friday's opener, Korea used four major league pitchers to
record a 2-0 triumph over Chinese Taipei. Jae Seo (Los
Angeles), Byung-Hyun Kim (Colorado), Dae-Sung Koo (New York
Mets) and Chan Ho Park (San Diego) combined on a five-hitter.

Sung-Yeop Lee took the pressure off the staff in this one. He
delivered a sacrifice fly in the first and belted a 1-0 pitch
from Chinese starter Kun Chen over the right field wall in the
third that made it 4-0.

Korea continued to pull away before Sung-Yeop Lee's second blast
capped the scoring in the eighth.

Son allowed just one hit and a walk in four innings with three
strikeouts. Myung Hwan Park and Tae Hyun Chong combined for
three scoreless frames before Jae Hun Chung surrendered a solo
homer to Shuo Yang in the eighth to end Korea's scoreless
streak.



KOREA 10, CHINA 1 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

China is eliminated, they suck!

[Collingwood]

when do australia play??????

[MSUJet85]

Round 1

Pool A: Tokyo, Japan
Date Local time EST Matchup Stadium
Fri. March 3
11:30 a.m. 9:30 p.m. (Thur.) Korea 2, Chinese Taipei 0
Tokyo Dome

Fri. March 3
6:30 p.m. 4:30 a.m. Japan 18, China 2
Tokyo Dome

Sat. March 4
11:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m. (Fri.) Korea 10, China 1
Tokyo Dome

Sat. March 4
6:00 p.m. 4:00 a.m. Japan 13, Taiwan 3 Tokyo Dome

Sun. March 5
11:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m. (Sat.) Chinese Taipei vs. China
Tokyo Dome

Sun. March 5
6:00 p.m. 4:00 a.m. Japan vs. Korea Tokyo Dome

Pool B: Phoenix, Arizona
Date Local time EST Matchup Stadium
Tue. March 7
2:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. USA vs. Mexico Chase Field

Tue. March 7
7:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. Canada vs. South Africa
Scottsdale Stadium

Wed. March 8
2:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. USA vs. Canada Chase Field

Wed. March 8
7:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. Mexico vs. South Africa
Scottsdale Stadium

Thu. March 9
6:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Canada vs. Mexico Chase Field

Fri. March 10
1:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. USA vs. South Africa
Scottsdale Stadium

Pool C: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Date Local time EST Matchup Stadium
Tue. March 7
8:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Puerto Rico vs. Panama Hiram Bithorn

Wed. March 8
2:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. Cuba vs. Panama Hiram Bithorn

Wed. March 8
8:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Puerto Rico vs. Netherlands Hiram Bithorn

Thu. March 9
8:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Cuba vs. Netherlands Hiram Bithorn

Fri. March 10
2:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. Panama vs. Netherlands Hiram Bithorn

Fri. March 10
8:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Puerto Rico vs. Cuba Hiram Bithorn

Pool D: Orlando, Florida
Date Local time EST Matchup Stadium
Tue. March 7
1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. D.R.* vs. Venezuela
Disney Wide World of Sports

Tue. March 7
8:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Australia vs. Italy
Disney Wide World of Sports

Wed. March 8
7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Venezuela vs. Italy
Disney Wide World of Sports

Thu. March 9
1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m D.R.* vs. Italy
Disney Wide World of Sports

Thu. March 9
8:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m Venezuela vs. Australia
Disney Wide World of Sports

Fri. March 10
7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. D.R.* vs. Australia
Disney Wide World of Sports
*Dominican Republic



Round One Schedule of Games (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[GreenMachine]

Why does Puerto Rico get to be a first and second round site??? Wouldn't it make more sense to award another city?

[kinghenry89]

Why did China get to have a team?

[GreenMachine]

Irabu?????

[MSUJet85]

JAPAN 14, CHINESE TAIPEI 3 (7 INNINGS, MERCY RULE)

TOKYO (Ticker) -- After flashing its prowess for the long ball
on Friday, Japan showed that it also can excel at small ball.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka collected two hits, two RBI and a pair of
stolen bases as Japan rolled to a 14-3 rout of Chinese Taipei in
a contest called after seven innings due to the mercy rule.

With the win, Japan (2-0) advances to the second round of the
inaugural tournament, along with Korea (2-0). The teams face
each other in the Sunday's nightcap to determine final seeding.

"We have to win all three games," Japanese manager Sadaharu Oh
said. "So I will make sure they stay focused on (Sunday's)
game."

Chinese Taipei (0-2) is eliminated, as is China (0-2), which
dropped a 10-1 decision to the Koreans earlier Saturday.

"I would like to congratulate Japan and Korea for advancing to
the second round of the WBC," Chinese Taipei manager Hua-Wei Lin
said. "Our team did our best, but our opponent today was more
powerful than we had imagined."

The top two teams from Pool A, Japan and Korea will face the
first- and second-place squads from Pool B - which includes the
United States - in Anaheim, California from March 12-16.

In Friday's 18-2 victory over China, Japan belted three home
runs - including back-to-back shots by Nishioka and Kosuke
Fukudome in the fifth inning to turn a tie game into a rout.

The key inning once again was the fifth Saturday, but the
Japanese resorted to scoring runs in a much more methodic
fashion.

With one out, Michihiro Ogasawara tripled to left and Tomoya
Satozaki followed with an RBI single to give Japan a 6-1 lead.
After Wen-Hsiung Hsu walked the next two batters, Sung-Wei Tseng
came on and promptly balked in a run.

Nishioka delivered a two-run single to make it 9-1 and, after a
single and a walk, Akinori Iwamura drove in two runs with a base
hit to center to cap the six-run uprising.

Nobuhiko Matsunaka had two hits and scored three runs and
Ogasawara and Satozaki each added a pair of hits for Japan,
which belted only one home run - a three-run shot by Hitoshi
Tamura in the first inning - instead producing runs behind 15
hits, eight walks and four stolen bases.

"I was so excited," said Tamura, who also homered late in the
win over China. "I just wanted to make sure I touched all the
bases."

For the second straight game, Seattle Mariners superstar Ichiro
Suzuki was not a major factor in Japan's offensive exhibition.
The five-time All-Star and former American League MVP went just
1-for-4 and is only 2-for-10 in the tournament.

Japanese starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-0) allowed one run and
three hits in four innings. He struck out three and walked one,
throwing 48 of 68 pitches for strikes.

"Since Korea won two games, we felt we had to win tonight's
game," Oh said. "And Tamura's three-run home run in the first
inning took off the pressure."

Chinese Taipei used eight pitchers, the first seven each
allowing at least one run. Starter Chu-Chien Hsu (0-1) was
reached for three runs and two hits in only one inning.

"Even though I changed pitchers seven times, it didn't help,"
Lin said. "We just could not stop them."



JAPAN 14, CHINESE TAIPEI 3 (7 INNINGS, MERCY RULE) (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

CHINESE TAIPEI 12, CHINA 3

TOKYO (Ticker) -- Yung Chi Chen sent Chinese Taipei home with
something to smile about.

Chen had a grand slam and drove in five runs as Chinese Taipei
rolled to a 12-3 victory over China in the World Baseball
Classic finale for both teams.

Wei-Lun Pan allowed two hits with two walks in four innings and
struck out five for Chinese Taipei (1-2), which finished third
in Pool A. Korea and Japan both had clinched the group's two
berths in the second round by winning their first two games.

While the game may not have had implications for the tournament,
it did carry some importance from a political standpoint for
the two Asian nations.

"Our team was very nervous as it was a big game," China manager
Jim Lefebvre said. "But that's part of being a professional
player and they did not handle it well."

Chinese Taipei scored just one run in the first three innings
before pulling away against China starter Nan Wang in the
fourth. Chin-lung Hu delivered a one-out double and Chia-Hsien
Hseih followed with a single to put runners on the corners.

Zheng Xu replaced Wang and issued a walk to load the bases and,
after Chung-Shou Yang struck out, Chen drove a 3-1 pitch well
over the left field fence for a 5-0 lead.

"This will be a great memory," Chen said through an interpreter.
"We beat China and I hit the first grand home run in my life.
This is my best game in international competition and one of
the best in my career."

Chen added an RBI double in the sixth as Chinese Taipei
continued to break open the game against the overmatched
Chinese.

Wei Wang had two RBI for China (0-3), which was outscored, 40-5,
in the tournament.

"Although our team didn't play well, I would like to thank the
WBC organizers," Lefebvre said. "Next time we'll be more
prepared and play better."



CHINESE TAIPEI 12, CHINA 3 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[GreenMachine]

Chinese Tapei is now George Bush..WTF are you doing here??????

[MSUJet85]

Chinese Tapei is now George Bush..WTF are you doing here??????
and China got blown out by them :lol:

[MSUJet85]

*Seung-Yeop Lee lifts Korea past Japan to win Pool A*

TOKYO (Ticker) - Seung-Yeop Lee's power did not disappear
against a tougher opponent.

Lee smacked a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning as
Korea edged rival Japan, 3-2, to win Pool A of the World
Baseball Classic.

On Saturday, Lee belted a pair of homers and drove in five runs
as Korea rolled to a 10-1 victory over China.

In this one, Korea (3-0) trailed, 2-1, before Lee plated Jong
Beom Lee with a homer to right-center field off Hirotoshi Ishii.

"I had been suffering from the flu and did not feel well
yesterday," Lee said through an interpreter. "That's why I was
the DH. Today I felt much better, and the key to the home run
was timing."

Dae-Sung Koo and Chan Ho Park made the lead stand for Korea,
with Park ending the contest by inducing Ichiro Suzuki to pop
out to shortstop.

"The key to the game tonight was our pitching," Korean manager
In-Sik Kim said through an interpreter. "They were able to shut
down the Japanese batters effectively."

Despite the loss, Japan (2-1) will join Korea in the second
round of the 16-nation event. The Asian teams will be grouped
with the top two teams of Pool B - which includes the United
States - in the next round, which will be held in Anaheim,
California from March 12-16.

"I would like to thank the Korean fans who came to Japan for
their support," Kim said of a small but devoted group of
supporters in left field. "I hope they can afford to go to the
U.S. to support us as well."

The teams will meet again on March 15.

"We'll be looking for revenge in that game against Korea,"
Japanese manager Sadaharu Oh said through an interpreter.

Japan opened the scoring on Nobuhiko Matsunaka's RBI single off
Korean starter Sunny Kim in the bottom of the first, and
Munemori Kawasaki doubled the advantage with a solo homer one
frame later.

The hosts had a chance to blow open the game in the bottom of
the fourth, but with the bases loaded and two out, Korean right
fielder Jin Young Lee snared a line drive by Tsuyoshi Nishioka
that would have cleared the bases.

"We had our chances but couldn't score because the korean
pitchers were good and the play in right field saved the game,"
Oh said.

Korea pulled within 2-1 on a sacrifice fly by Byung Kyu Lee off
Japanese starter Shunsuke Watanabe in the top of the fifth.



KOREA 3, JAPAN 2 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[FirstTimeCaller]

Chinese Tapei is now George Bush..WTF are you doing here??????


Chinese Tapei was elected by American voters?

[MSUJet85]

Williams' single helps Puerto Rico nip Panama
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Puerto Rico's first game in the World Baseball Classic was a tougher test than many expected.

Bernie Williams hit a tiebreaking single, Alex Rios homered and Team Puerto Rico made its WBC debut with a 2-1 victory over Panama on Tuesday night.

"We swung at too many first pitches. We'll be talking about that to the team because we need to address that," Puerto Rican manager Jose Oquendo said.

Javier Vazquez got help from his bullpen, and Williams' single up the middle scored Alex Cintron in the fifth inning to put Puerto Rico ahead before a home crowd of more than 19,000 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

With a roster that also features major league stars Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Ivan Rodriguez, Puerto Rico is a heavy favorite to finish among the top two teams in its group and advance to the second round. Cuba and the Netherlands are also in Pool C.

Team Panama manager Anibal Reluz Vasquez still thinks his team can make it to the next round.

"We will stay motivated to win this championship and we'll keep fighting," he said. "Today we had more chances to win than Puerto Rico, but it just didn't work out."

Bruce Chen, Panama's best pitcher, will go to the mound Wednesday against Cuba.

"Tomorrow we will bring Bruce Chen, who may be our best card in the stack," Reluz Vasquez said. "We have done some strong scouting on Cuba. We've played them a lot in the past and they're going to have to bring their best tomorrow to beat us."

Rios was down 0-2 in the count in the fifth before his home run tied the score at 1.

"I was very proud," he said. "I saw the left fielder getting close to the wall, but I felt very proud when the ball went into the stands."

That chased Panama starter Lenin Picota after 60 pitches.

"He threw strikes and my boys were anxious," Oquendo said.

Cintron followed with an infield hit. A sacrifice bunt by Alex Cora sent Cintron to second, and Williams gave Team Puerto Rico the lead with a signature line drive that split the diamond and bounced into center field.

Vazquez left in the fourth with two on and none out. He threw 57 pitches.

"Vazquez was working too fast and he was pitching a little too high in the strike zone," Oquendo said.

Federico Baez loaded the bases with a walk to Ruben Rivera, and Carlos Ruiz walked to force in the first run of the game. But Baez escaped by getting a fly ball and a double-play grounder.

Panama also threatened in the first, putting runners on first and second with none out. Olmedo Saenz hit into a fielder's choice, forcing Orlando Miller at third for the first out.

Freddy Herrera then took off from second on a fly ball hit by Carlos Lee that was caught by Puerto Rican left fielder Jose Cruz Jr., who threw to second for an inning-ending double play.

Panama returned the favor in the bottom half. Puerto Rico manager Jose Oquendo gave the hit-and-run sign to Rodriguez with one out, but Beltran struck out and the runner was thrown out at second.

Lee missed a two-out RBI opportunity for Panama in the fifth when he grounded out, leaving a runner on third.

The winning pitcher was Jose Santiago, who went 1 2/3 innings. Manuel Acosta took the loss.

Puerto Rico plays the Netherlands on Wednesday, and Panama plays Cuba.

Puerto Rico 2, Panama 1 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Piazza, Grilli spark 10-0 Italy rout of Australia
Associated Press

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Mike Piazza doubled and scored a run and Jason Grilli was almost perfect in 4 2/3 innings of work, leading Italy to a 10-0 victory over Australia in the first round of the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday night.

Grilli left to a standing ovation after allowing only a one-out, fourth-inning double to Trent Durrington. He also struck out seven. Riccardo De Santis finished with 2 1/3 perfect innings.

Piazza, the All-Star catcher who left the New York Mets and signed with the San Diego Padres in the offseason, was 1-for-4.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Frank Catalanotto was 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI for Italy. Mark Saccomanno was 2-for-3 with a double, home run and two RBI.

Frank Menechino, now with the Cincinnati Reds after several years with the Oakland Athletics and Toronto, keyed a three-run second inning for Italy with a two-run double. That helped to chase Australia starter John Stephens, who allowed three earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Italy managed 12 hits off five different Australia pitchers before the 10-run mercy rule ended the game after seven innings.

The atmosphere at The Ballpark at Disney for Italy and Australia was decidedly calmer than it was for the Venezuela-Dominican Republic game that preceded it.

The Dominican Republic defeated Venezuela 11-5 in front of a raucous packed house.

In the nightcap of Pool D play, the stadium was half-filled and there were no Aussie or Italian flags being waved.

Italy 10, Australia 0 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Canada scores four in top of ninth to avoid upset
Associated Press

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Canada narrowly avoided a startling loss in its World Baseball Classic debut, rallying for four runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat South Africa 11-8 Tuesday night.

Ryan Radminovich led off the ninth with a triple to left center off losing pitcher Jared Elario and scored on a sharp double by Adam Stern. Stern came around to score when South Africa third baseman John Phillips threw Pete Orr's sacrifice attempt into right field.

The Canadians added two more runs on a wild pitch and a double by Sebastien Boucher. South African pitchers threw eight wild pitches.

Jesse Crain came on in the ninth inning for the save, striking out two.

Corey Koskie of the Milwaukee Brewers hit a two-run home run for Canada, and Jason Bay was 2-for-5 with three runs scored and Justin Morneau had an RBI double.

South Africa had taken an 8-7 lead against Canada reliever Chris Reitsma in the bottom of the eighth of the Pool B game when Paul Bell cleared the bases with a double to left field.

A three-run double by Brett Willemburg in the fourth inning helped give South Africa a 4-3 lead.

The surprising South Africans played the Canadians even for the first four innings with Carl Michaels and Barry Armitage matching Erik Bedard of the Baltimore Orioles pitch for pitch.

Bedard held the South Africans to two hits, striking out six.

The Canadians finally broke through in the fifth, using three stolen bases and Matt Stairs' two-run double to score three runs against Armitage.

But Paul Quantrill, on in relief of Bedard, couldn't hold the lead. South Africa tied the game on Willemburg's double down the left-field line and took the lead when Willemburg scored when Orr failed to handle Nick Dempsey's ground ball.

South Africa 8, Canada 11 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Papi, Beltre power Dominican past Venezuela
Associated Press

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- David Ortiz and the Dominican Republic showed everyone in the United States what Latin baseball is all about -- and just how good they are.


AP Photo
David Ortiz (right) homered twice, including a two-run shot in the ninth.

Ortiz and Adrian Beltre each homered twice, leading a powerful Dominican team to an 11-5 victory over Venezuela on Tuesday in their World Baseball Classic opener.

"The atmosphere is pretty much what every Latin has in his blood," Ortiz said.

"Everybody has a lot of passion for baseball," the Boston Red Sox star added. "We live it every day."

A lively sellout crowd, two All-Star lineups, a couple Cy Young Award winners.

Bud Selig must have been smiling.

This is exactly what the commissioner had in mind when he pushed for the Classic, and the Dominican Republic and Venezuela put on a show that made the concept look like a stroke of genius.

Bartolo Colon, the 2005 AL Cy Young winner for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, pitched three scoreless innings for the win. He allowed three hits, walked one and struck out two before leaving after 50 pitches -- well below the opening-round limit of 65.

Johan Santana, the 2004 AL Cy Young recipient, yielded Ortiz's first homer, a second run that was unearned and took the loss. He threw 61 pitches in 3 1/3 innings and allowed three hits, walked three and struck out five.

"We were all aware of their pitching staff, and we had to be patient and wait for the right pitch to hit," said Ortiz, who had three RBI.

Ortiz and Beltre, who drove in five runs, each hit a two-run homer in the ninth as the Dominicans broke open a 6-5 game.

Gut check
Venezuelan manager Luis Sojo defended his strategy against the Dominican Republic.

"From the beginning, I've said that Venezuela has a manager that goes by his instincts," said Sojo.

Despite being down just one run and with Francisco Rodriguez available in the bullpen, Sojo decided to leave Victor Zambrano in the game in the ninth inning.

"I checked with the coaches and they said Zambrano was doing great, so I decided to leave him in," Sojo said. After Zambrano gave up a single and wild pitch, Sojo brought in left-hander Carlos Hernandez to face Ortiz, who had hit a monstrous home run off lefty Johan Santana earlier in the game.

With first base open, Sojo could have walked "Big Papi" and brought in a right-hander to pitch to Moises Alou.

"I didn't want to risk putting anyone else on," Sojo explained. "Carlos made a couple of good pitches to David, but the last one was up. Ortiz is a great hitter, and the great ones do that to you," said Sojo.

The Venezuelan manager plans to use the same lineup in their next game against Italy, and confirmed that Freddy Garcia and Carlos Silva will be his first two pitchers in that contest.

"The game against the D.R. opened our eyes. If anyone thought it would be easy, let them buy the book," he said. "Tuesday's game is history, now we'll focus on the next ones to get some victories and get to the next round."

-- Enrique Rojas

Ronnie Belliard added an RBI single to finish a five-run inning that set off a wild celebration among flag-toting, horn-blowing Dominican fans, some of whom even danced on top of the dugout after Beltre's second homer.

Miguel Cabrera and Edgardo Alfonzo homered for Venezuela, which rallied from a five-run deficit to nearly tie the game.

That's where some controversy came into play, with Venezuela manager Luis Sojo barreling out of the dugout to argue that Cabrera's RBI double should have been ruled a two-run homer that would have tied the game at 6 in the seventh.

Two innings earlier, Cabrera's two-run homer cut into a 6-1 lead the Dominican Republic built with the help of Ortiz's solo homer off Santana and Beltre's three-run drive off Carlos Zambrano.

"The umpires are closer than we are," Alfonzo said. "We tried to see the replay, but it was tough to tell."

Cabrera's seventh-inning double off Julian Tavarez hit the top of the wall in left-center and caromed back to the field. Cabrera pumped his fist and held his right arm in the air as he rounded first, thinking he had his second homer.

The matchup of star-laden lineups drew a sellout crowd of 10,645 to The Ballpark at Disney, the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves.

The Dominican batting order read like a who's who among All-Stars with Alfonso Soriano leading off, followed by MVPs Miguel Tejada and Albert Pujols and sluggers Ortiz, Moises Alou and Beltre.

And with Ortiz and Beltre leading the way, the Dominicans hardly seemed to miss a couple big names who aren't here for the first round -- Vladimir Guerrero and Manny Ramirez.

Guerrero, whose jersey hung on the side of the batting cage while his teammates were taking swings before the game, pulled out after three cousins died in a car accident. Ramirez reported late for spring training and isn't ready to play.

Beltre's three-run homer off Zambrano made it 6-1 in the fifth. But this was billed as the premier matchup in Pool D -- maybe even the entire first round -- for a reason.

Venezuela features an impressive collection of talent, as well, led by Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, Magglio Ordonez, Omar Vizquel and Carlos Guillen.

Alfonzo rebounded from a throwing error that allowed the Dominican Republic to score its second run and began Venezuela's comeback with an RBI single in the fourth and a solo homer in the sixth.

Sojo expects Venezuela to bounce back Wednesday against Italy.

"It puts more pressure on us," Sojo said. "We just have to put it behind us."

Game notes
Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal, a native of the Dominican Republic, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... Daniel Cabrera and Odalis Perez, two pitchers on the 30-man roster for the Dominican Republic, were declared ineligible for Tuesday's game. The team permitted Cabrera and Perez to throw in exhibition games for their major-league clubs last weekend, and WBCI determined they had thrown the equivalent of 30 to 49 pitches one day before their tournament opener. Both will be eligible to pitch Thursday against Italy. ... Zambrano's first pitch to Pujols in the fifth inning was clocked at 99 mph.

Venezuela 5, Dominican Republic 11 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Peavy combines to four-hit Mexico in U.S. win
Associated Press

PHOENIX -- One after another, the American pitchers were untouchable. A pair of big blows provided all the help they needed.

Jake Peavy
AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
Peavy allowed one hit and struck out three, throwing just 23 pitches.

Jake Peavy and a parade of relievers combined on a four-hitter against a lineup loaded with major-leaguers Tuesday, leading the United States to a 2-0 victory over Mexico in its World Baseball Classic debut.

Home runs by Derrek Lee and Chipper Jones were all that was necessary on offense.

"Today I felt proud," Lee said. "I felt like the whole country was watching."

Lee hit a 1-1 pitch from starter Rodrigo Lopez over the right-field fence and Jones homered on the first pitch he saw in the tournament -- off Oscar Villarreal in the seventh.

These U.S. stars have been talking pride and patriotism since gathering on Friday.

"I've never had a better feeling in my life," Peavy said. "It was the coolest thing I have ever done when Team USA took the field today."

Added Jones: "I probably had more butterflies today than any playoff games."

Peavy allowed one hit -- an infield single by Karim Garcia that easily could have been ruled an error on second baseman Chase Utley to start the game. The 24-year-old San Diego Padres right-hander struck out three, throwing just 23 pitches. Mike Timlin, Chad Cordero, Dan Wheeler, Todd Jones, Joe Nathan and Brad Lidge each threw an inning of relief for the U.S. squad, which has 11 relievers on its roster.

"Our bullpen is ridiculous," Lee said. "I kind of felt sorry for those guys having to face them."

The U.S. pitchers combined for nine strikeouts and no walks, shutting out Mexico in only 2 hours, 6 minutes.

No Mexican hitters got beyond first. Three baserunners were erased on double plays.

"It was a good game," Mexico manager Paquin Estrada said through a translator, "but there really was no room for mistakes. There were two hits, and it was just a matter of pitching."

From the first pitch, it was apparent this was no spring training game.

The crowd of 32,727 at Chase Field -- formerly known as Bank One Ballpark -- was loud and lively with Mexican supporters waiving their red, white and green national flags and chanting "Me-xi-co! Me-xi-co!" When a U.S. batter got two strikes, there were shouts of "ponche" -- strikeout.

"I thought it was awesome," Jones said. "I thought it was electric. The Mexican fans brought a lot of electricity to the game."

The United States had the first scoring threat when Randy Winn led off the third with a single to right. After two outs, Derek Jeter bounced a single up the middle to put runners at first and third. But Ken Griffey Jr. popped up to left to end the inning.

Lopez, a right-handed starter for the Baltimore Orioles, allowed one run and three hits in four innings, striking out one and walking one. The lone run he gave up was Lee's two-out homer in the fourth.

"I was trying to throw a good fastball down and away," Lopez said. "I just left it up a little bit. Like I say, this guy's got tremendous power. This guy is an All-Star."

The lead remained 1-0 until Jones replaced Alex Rodriguez at third in the top of the seventh. With one out, he hit the first pitch from his new Atlanta teammate Villarreal some 396 feet to the seats in left-center.

"Just another huge thrill, another career highlight," said Jones, who homered in the U.S. exhibition victory against San Francisco on Saturday.

Pitchers can throw no more than 65 pitches per game in the first round because they are still in the spring training mode.

Mexico has defeated the United States only once in five tries since baseball became an Olympic sport. That 2-1 victory in the 2003 Olympic qualifier in Panama denied the Americans a 2004 Olympic berth.

United States 2, Mexico 0 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[28rogerblaze51]

Usa is going to win this trust..

Did anyone see the whole roger clemens commercial, that gave me goosebumps and made me scream usa.

He said, we want to win it all, this is our sport and we are going to show them how its played. Im a american.

[ScotsJet]

D-Lee and Michael Barrett rule. Shame Carlos Zambrano and the rest of the Venezuela pitching staff totally choked.

[tcrock]

this is kind of a joke....Piazza playing for Italy? why because he's of Italian descent? you should actually be a citizen of the country you play for, at least in my opinion...this is nothing but a weak PR attempt by MLB

[wa2k99]

this is kind of a joke....Piazza playing for Italy? why because he's of Italian descent? you should actually be a citizen of the country you play for, at least in my opinion...this is nothing but a weak PR attempt by MLB

I see what you're saying, but there has to be some level of competition here. Otherwise the first round would be meaningless.

And man does Jorge Julio blow! But Duaner Sanchez will be a stud for the Mets! Bank on it.

[Italian Seafood]

Now that the better teams are playing and once they play each other a few times, it will pick up some steam. I'm looking forward to some of the games, something I've never said about the Dodgers split squad playing in Vero Beach, etc.

[Out for the Season]

damn, Panama is playing with heart, a tough team to beat

[Jtuds]

Gooooo Caaanaaaadaaa!!!!

[Out for the Season]

Gooooo Caaanaaaadaaa!!!!

happy? nice come from behind victory

[Italian Seafood]

Gooooo Caaanaaaadaaa!!!!

It's a shame for Canada that Eric Gagne wasn't ready to go for them. He should be ready for the season but couldn't chance playing in this.

[Out for the Season]

Cuba 2
Panama 1 Bottom of the 6th

[Jtuds]

happy? nice come from behind victory


Ya if we had lost to friggin South Africa I'd have been as embarassed as when we lost to the Swiss in Torino.

[Out for the Season]

Ya if we had lost to friggin South Africa I'd have been as embarassed as when we lost to the Swiss in Torino.


I see, but South Africa played with a lot of heart. Anyway, Canada deserved to win, they have a better team.

[Out for the Season]

Cuba 2
Panama 4
End of 6th

[MattMan]

this is a must win for panama

[Italian Seafood]

Too bad they can't bring Rivera in to preserve the lead. Maybe now two countries can hate George Steinbrenner.

[Out for the Season]

this is a must win for panama

and right now it is tied at 4 at the 8th, can they pull it out?

[Out for the Season]

Cuba 6
Panama 4
Bottom 9th

Panama has the bases loaded no outs, what a game!!

[Out for the Season]

bases loaded and he got hit, so the game is tied, amazing

[Italian Seafood]

Olmedo Saenz got a big hit in the 9th, he's a Dodger. Word. This is a great game, very intense. All the Panama guys out of the dugout jumping up and down, quite a scene.

[Out for the Season]

Olmedo Saenz got a big hit in the 9th, he's a Dodger. Word. This is a great game, very intense. All the Panama guys out of the dugout jumping up and down, quite a scene.

yes it is, and to think that Panama is playing such intense game against Cuba is a surprise, I thought that it would have been a blowout

[Collingwood]

this is kind of a joke....Piazza playing for Italy? why because he's of Italian descent? you should actually be a citizen of the country you play for, at least in my opinion...this is nothing but a weak PR attempt by MLB

i agree totally, i mean the aussies have sent over a young squad of locals apart from a couple who are in the minors, huber who plays for royals and dave nielson who i really old now

[poiu]

I'll be the first to admit that this has been much more entertaining than I thought it would be. I still don't like it but watching the games these past couple days has been fun.

However, the shameless self-promotion espn is putting on is sickening. I thought it was bad this morning when the entire wbc page at espn.com was fulll of articles about how great and intense it was but then the announcers said this during the the us/canada game:

"I think that Varitek will call that the biggest home run in his carreer"

and

"Such an intense tournament so far. For some of these guys on the US team, playing in the wbc and representing their country is the biggest honor they've ever had"

Jesus Christ! You can promote the tourney without insulting our intelligence. I mean, there are only 20,000 people at the game for a reason.

[poiu]

Wow, huge catch their by that Canadian CF. Still 8-6 Canada.

[Out for the Season]

Wow, huge catch their by that Canadian CF. Still 8-6 Canada.

interesting game, if the US lose this game their next is a must win

[poiu]

Wow...

Canada wins

[Out for the Season]

Canada 8
US 6

I am shocked

[28rogerblaze51]

Unfuckingbelievable......

Im very upset...

But i guess the US needed a game like this to wake their asses up. Now its crushing time from now on till winning the title.

[Jake]

Hahahahahah hells yea!!!! But I wish we had Harden and Gagne because our pitching will be exposed sooner or later. I don't think Canada will go very far, just caught US off guard.

[poiu]

Shouldn't end up mattering though as I can't picture South Africa coming close to the us.

[NYJetFan37]

ROFL, this is like an all star team losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates....which is what team Canda is....well the pirates have better pitching...lol

[MSUJet85]

U.S. rallies, but can't overcome 8-0 hole vs. Canada

PHOENIX -- The country where hockey is king stole America's pastime on a chilly Arizona afternoon.

Adam Stern, a young backup outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, hit an inside-the-park homer, drove in four runs and made two sensational catches in center to lead Canada over the United States 8-6 on Wednesday in the World Baseball Classic.

Jason Varitek's 448-foot grand slam helped bring the United States back from an 8-0 deficit, but a Canadian team made up largely of minor-leaguers held on.

Chase Utley thought he had given the United States the lead in the eighth, flipping his bat and raising both arms in triumph after he hit a long drive to center with two on. But Stern made a leaping catch at the wall to end the inning.

A crowd of 16,993 at Chase Field alternated between booing America's futility and supportive chants of "U-S-A!"

The United States (1-1) must beat South Africa on Friday to stay alive in the 16-nation tournament. Even then, the Americans aren't assured of advancing to the second round. If Mexico, Canada and the United States finish 2-1, the tie would be broken by fewest runs allowed per inning.

Canada (2-0), which had to rally in the ninth Tuesday night to beat South Africa 11-8, hit Dontrelle Willis hard and scored in each of the first five innings.

Stern tripled in a run in the second and singled in two more in the third. Then leading off the fifth, his opposite-field fly ball skidded off the base of the bullpen fence past left fielder Matt Holliday.

As Holliday pulled up lame, Stern raced around the bases for an inside-the-park homer to put Canada up 8-0. After being examined by the trainers, Holliday stayed in the game.

Michael Young started the six-run U.S. fifth with a leadoff single and then scored from first on Ken Griffey Jr.'s second double of the game. Derrek Lee's single brought in pinch-runner Jeff Francoeur. Chipper Jones singled, and then Vernon Wells drew a two-out walk that loaded the bases.

Eric Cyr relieved Chris Begg for Canada, and Varitek drove a 2-1 pitch over the main concourse walkway in left-center, cutting the lead to 8-6.

Canada threatened in the eighth when Ryan Radmanovich walked and tried to score from first on Morneau's double to right. But Utley took the relay from Francoeur and threw out Radmanovich at the plate to end the inning.

Adam Loewen, a 21-year-old left-hander who pitched last season for Class A Frederick in the Baltimore organization, gave up three hits and walked three but didn't allow a run in 3 2/3 innings and got the victory.

The United States didn't allow a runner beyond first base in its 2-0 victory over Mexico on Wednesday, but Willis was ineffective and allowed five runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings. He was relieved by Al Leiter, who surrendered two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.



Canada 8, United States 6 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[Jake]

Why the hell is Al Leiter on Team USA? They couldn't find anyone better than that plug?!

[MSUJet85]

Cuba blows ninth-inning lead, but beats Panama in 11

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Cuba won its World Baseball Classic opener, but only after a ninth-inning meltdown.

Panama scored twice in the ninth to force extra innings, but pinch-hitter Yoandy Garlobo had a tiebreaking single in the 11th that led the Cubans to an 8-6 victory Wednesday.

Yuliesky Gourriel drove in four runs for the Cubans with a two-run homer, a double and a sacrifice fly.

Ruben Rivera hit a three-run homer for Panama (0-2), which trailed 6-4 in the ninth and loaded the bases with no outs against the Olympic champions.

Yunieski Maya struck out Freddy Herrera, but Olmedo Saenz blooped a single to center. Carlos Lee then struck out, but Maya forced in the tying run when he hit Sherman Obando on a hand with a pitch. Rivera followed with an inning-ending flyout.

Michel Enriquez started Cuba's go-ahead rally with two outs in the 11th against Jorge Cortes when he was hit by a pitch for the third time in the game. Gourriel walked, and Garlobo singled to center. Frederich Cepeda followed with another RBI single.

Maya got the win and Yadel Marti, Cuba's fifth pitcher, got three outs for the save.

Panama starter Bruce Chen gave up two runs and four hits in five innings.

Rivera's three-run, opposite-field homer to right off Vicyhoandry Odelin put Panama ahead 4-2 in the sixth. Cuba tied it in the seventh on Eduado Paret's RBI single and Gourriel's sacrifice fly and then went ahead in the ninth on Gourriel's homer against Manuel Acosta.

Cuba plays the Netherlands on Thursday and Puerto Rico on Friday. Panama's only remaining game is also against the Netherlands on Friday.



Cuba 8, Panama 6 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[Out for the Season]

Another Tight Game

Puerto Rico 3
Netherlands 3
Top of the 6th

[kinghenry89]

Wow. That Panama/Cuba game singlehandedly convinced me that the WBC should be here to stay. It was simply amazing.

As for the US/Canada, I predicted that Canada would pull off some upsets before the tourney started. They really do have a very good lineup (though I didn't expect their starting pitching to be so good today.)

In any case it's not so huge a deal for the US, as long as they beat South Africa they'll be fine. And I don't see South Africa pulling off the upset. Mexico's gotta be pissed though.

[Out for the Season]

Oh Yeah,
Puerto Rico 5
Netherlands 3
Bottom of the 6th

[Out for the Season]

Wow. That Panama/Cuba game singlehandedly convinced me that the WBC should be here to stay. It was simply amazing.

As for the US/Canada, I predicted that Canada would pull off some upsets before the tourney started. They really do have a very good lineup (though I didn't expect their starting pitching to be so good today.)

In any case it's not so huge a deal for the US, as long as they beat South Africa they'll be fine. And I don't see South Africa pulling off the upset. Mexico's gotta be pissed though.

Gotta be careful, it could end in a three way tie

[kinghenry89]

Refresh my memory on the rules--doesn't beating Mexico give the US a tiebreaker there?

[Out for the Season]

Refresh my memory on the rules--doesn't beating Mexico give the US a tiebreaker there?

yes, but in a three way tie it is different,
imagine this scenario: everybody beats South Africa

USA def Mex
Can def USA
Mex def Can

who owns the tie breaker?
teams are selected by ERA and Batting Average

[MSUJet85]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Ticker) -- Ivan Rodriguez of the Detroit
Tigers and Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets gave the
Netherlands a sample of their power.

Rodriguez and Beltran hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh
inning, giving Puerto Rico some breathing room in its 8-3
victory over the Netherlands in a Pool C contest.

With the Puerto Ricans (2-0) clinging to a 5-3 lead, Rodriguez
led off the seventh with a blast off Jair Jurrjens. Dave
Draijer came on for the Netherlands, but Beltran promptly
greeted him with a shot over the right-center field wall to
create a four-run lead.

Rodriguez finished 2-for-4 and scored two runs, while Beltran
went 3-for-5 for Puerto Rico, which pounded out 14 hits and
scored at least one run in six of the nine innings.

Puerto Rico starter Joel Pineiro of the Seattle Mariners worked
four innings, allowing only an unearned run and four hits.

Raylinoe Legito collected two of the five hits for the
Netherlands (0-1). The team's lone major league star is Atlanta
Braves center fielder Andruw Jones, who went 0-for-3 with a
strikeout.

PUERTO RICO 8, NETHERLANDS 3 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Garcia combines to two-hit Italy in Venezuela win
Associated Press

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Miguel Cabrera homered for the second straight game and drove in two runs as Venezuela rebounded from a loss in its World Baseball Classic opener with a 6-0 victory over Italy on Wednesday night.

Freddy Garcia struck out seven and allowed one hit in 3 1/3 innings for Venezuela, which improved to 1-1 in Pool D play and dropped Italy to 1-1. The Dominican Republic (1-0) was idle Wednesday and remained the only unbeaten team in Pool D.

In front of a raucous, partisan Venezuelan crowd, Garcia and three other pitchers combined on a two-hitter and struck out 11. Carlos Silva gave up a hit in 3 2/3 innings, and Rafael Betancourt and Francisco Rodriguez each pitched a hitless inning for Venezuela.

Italy's Mike Piazza struck out three times and briefly argued a call at first base after grounding out in the ninth inning.

Garcia cruised through the first seven batters but had to pitch out of a jam in the top of the third. A walk, a throwing error by Ramon Hernandez and a single by Tony Giarratano loaded the bases for Italy, but the White Sox pitcher struck out Frank Menechino and Frank Catalanotto to squelch the rally.

Venezuela jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Bobby Abreu singled, stole second and scored on Cabrera's single.

Abreu added to Venezuela's lead with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the third. Italy avoided further damage when reliever Phil Barzilla got Victor Martinez to ground out to second with runners on first and second.

Venezuela added a run in the fourth, one in the fifth and two more in the sixth.

Martinez and Ramon Hernandez had two hits each for Venezuela.

Left-hander Lenny DiNardo started for Italy and allowed two earned runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Venezuela 6, Italy 0 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

MEXICO 10, SOUTH AFRICA 4

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Thanks to Jorge Cantu, Mexico still has a
chance to advance to the second round of the World Baseball
Classic.

Cantu went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI and Vinny Castilla
of the San Diego Padres added three hits and scored twice as
Mexico remained in contention with a 10-4 victory over South
Africa.

After having a breakthrough season for the Tampa Bay Devils Rays
in 2005, Cantu got off to a slow start in this tournament,
going 0-for-4 in Mexico's 2-0 loss to the United States on
Tuesday.

But the 23-year-old second baseman enjoyed success in this one,
plating the game's first run with a sacrifice fly in the opening
inning, giving the Mexicans (1-1) an 8-3 lead with an RBI
single in the fifth and capping the scoring with a two-out, solo
blast in the seventh.

Former major leaguer Karim Garcia led off the first inning with
a triple and scored before adding a sacrifice fly in the second
to give Mexico a 3-0 advantage. Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres
highlighted a two-run third with an RBI single and sparked a
three-run fifth with a run-scoring double.

Mexico starter Francisco Campos picked up the win despite
allowing three runs and four hits in four innings. Pablo Ortega
tossed the next two frames, yielding three hits but striking
out five.

Minnesota Twins lefthander Dennys Reyes struck out Nick Dempsey
with the bases loaded in the ninth to seal the win for Mexico,
which battles Canada (2-0) on Thursday.

Darryn Smith suffered the loss for South Africa (0-2),
surrendering five runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings.

Brett Willemburg went 4-for-5 and Jason Cook delivered a two-run
triple for the South Africans, who take on the U.S. in their
final game Friday.



MEXICO 10, SOUTH AFRICA 4 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[Cellar-door]

yes, but in a three way tie it is different,
imagine this scenario: everybody beats South Africa

USA def Mex
Can def USA
Mex def Can

who owns the tie breaker?
teams are selected by ERA and Batting Average Actually before ERA it's runs given up per inning in games against the other two teams you are tied with, which is bad news for the US as they gave up 8 to canada, for 8 total, while canada has 6 plus whatever they give up to Mex, and Mexico has 2 plus whatever they give up to Canada

[Out for the Season]

Actually before ERA it's runs given up per inning in games against the other two teams you are tied with, which is bad news for the US as they gave up 8 to canada, for 8 total, while canada has 6 plus whatever they give up to Mex, and Mexico has 2 plus whatever they give up to Canada


ok, so it is that way

[Cellar-door]

yeah, i just checked it, the US is eliminated if Mexico wins 1-0, 2-1 or 2-0, otherwise the US moves on, unless they lose to South Africa of course, but I doubt that

[Out for the Season]

yeah, i just checked it, the US is eliminated if Mexico wins 1-0, 2-1 or 2-0, otherwise the US moves on, unless they lose to South Africa of course, but I doubt that

that is a tough scenario, let's see what happens

[Out for the Season]

POOL B SCENARIOS
Mexico advances if:
• If it defeats Canada at 8 p.m. Thursday, Mexico advances to the second round

Team USA advances if:
• Canada beats Mexico on Thursday, and the U.S. defeats South Africa on Friday, as expected. If the U.S. loses to South Africa, then it's a three-way tiebreaker between Team USA, Mexico and South Africa, with only one team advancing. Of course, if the U.S. loses to South Africa, it might have bigger issues to address than tiebreaker rules.

• Mexico beats Canada on Thursday and Mexico scores three or more runs in that victory. Mexico and the U.S. would then advance based on the first tiebreaker, runs allowed for the teams tied. The U.S. has allowed eight runs its games vs. Mexico and Canada. Canada would then have allowed nine or more runs and would be the odd-team out.

Canada advances if:
• If it wins Thursday in its game against Mexico, it advances to the second round with a perfect 3-0 mark.

• Canada can lose Thursday's game and still advance, but only if it allows one or two runs in that loss to Mexico. If Canada allows three or more runs to Mexico, Team USA and Mexico will advance based on the tiebreaker of runs allowed and Canada would be the odd-team out.

it is not easy to qualify, even if you win the first two games

[Italian Seafood]

Hahahahahah hells yea!!!! But I wish we had Harden and Gagne because our pitching will be exposed sooner or later. I don't think Canada will go very far, just caught US off guard.

Gagne is awesome, you know he would've come in to pitch the 9th. Congrats to Canada, now go beat Mexico.

[MSUJet85]

DOMINICAN REP 8, ITALY 3

ORLANDO, Florida (Ticker) -- The powerful lineup of the
Dominican Republic has not disappointed at the World Baseball
Classic.

Albert Pujols, Adrian Beltre and Moises Alou each homered as the
Dominicans clinched a spot in the second round with an 8-3
victory over Italy.

Los Angeles Dodgers lefthander Odalis Perez allowed three runs
in three innings, but Jorge Sosa of the Atlanta Braves
surrendered just one hit over the next four frames for the
Dominican Republic (2-0), which has hit seven homers in its
first two games.

Frank Catalanotto had an RBI single in the first inning and a
run-scoring double in the third to give the Italians (1-2) a
3-2 edge.

However, Placido Polanco led off the bottom of the third with a
single and Pujols, the reigning National League MVP, sent the
next pitch from Italy pitcher Tony Fiore over the left field
fence to put the Dominicans in front.

Beltre added a three-run blast - his third homer of the
tournament - in the fifth off Riccardo De Santis to push the
lead to 7-3 before Alou capped the scoring with a solo shot in
the seventh.

Fiore yielded four runs - two earned - in five innings in 2 2/3
innings for Italy, which needs Australia to upset Venezuela on
Thursday night to avoid elimination.



DOMINICAN REP 8, ITALY 3 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[Italian Seafood]

Beltre is a great hitter, I'm still pissed the Dodgers let him get away. He's an outstanding defensive 3B as well. I think he will have a big bounce-back year for Seattle.

Good to see Odalis is in mid-season form.

[MSUJet85]

Mexico beats Canada, opens door for U.S.

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Jorge Cantu homered and drove in three runs and Esteban Loaiza allowed a run in five-plus innings Thursday night as Mexico defeated Canada 9-1 to leave the U.S. team a win away from reaching the second round.

Erubiel Durazo also had three hits and Mario Valenzuela had a solo home run for Mexico, which dropped a 2-0 decision to the U.S. in the opening game of the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday.

If the U.S. beats South Africa on Friday, it will advance to the second round due to a complicated three-way tiebreaker based on runs allowed. In this odd system, the United States would've been eliminated before it plays South Africa if Mexico had beaten Canada by scores of 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1.

Canada starter Jeff Francis retired the first two batters in the first inning, then drilled Vinny Castilla in the ribs with a fastball. Consecutive doubles by Durazo, Geronimo Gil, Luis Alfonso Garcia and Miguel Ojeda made it 4-0 as Francis struggled through the 26-pitch inning.

Cantu made it 6-0 in the second inning with a two-run homer to left center, scoring Luis Carlos Garcia, who had opened the inning with a double.

Loaiza, meanwhile, faced just two batters over the minimum in the first four innings and gave up his first hit in the fourth when Stubby Clapp beat out a slow roller to second.

Mexico 9, Canada 1 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Cuba swamps Netherlands to reach second round
Associated Press
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico --Yoandry Garlobo went 4-for-5 with three RBI and Cuba beat the Netherlands 11-2 Thursday night to advance to the second round of the World Baseball Classic.

Osmany Urrutia also hit a three-run homer for Cuba (2-0), which faces Puerto Rico on Friday in a matchup of the only two undefeated teams in Group C. Puerto Rico also moved into the second round with Cuba's victory over the Netherlands.

Garlobo hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning to give Cuba a 4-0 lead.

Randall Simon had a two-run single to left in the sixth for the Netherlands (0-2), which will play Panama on Friday for third place in Group C. Netherlands outfielder Andruw Jones was 0-for-3 with a walk.

Cuba starter Ormari Romero tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings, allowing just two hits. He struck out five and walked one.

Netherlands pitcher Diegomar Markwell allowed four runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings. Reliever Calvin Maduro gave up seven hits and six runs in three innings.

Cuba finished the game with 16 hits.

Cuba 11, Netherlands 2 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Escobar dominates as Venezuela shuts out Australia


March 10, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports


KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Dominant pitching put Venezuela in the second round of the World Baseball Classic.

Kelvim Escobar helped shut down a feeble Australia lineup and Ramon Hernandez homered, leading Venezuela to a 2-0 win Thursday night in a game that was much more competitive than expected.

The victory sends Venezuela (2-1) and the Dominican Republic (2-0) to San Juan in a loaded group that also includes Puerto Rico and Cuba.

"It's a great feeling," said Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana, who will start Venezuela's second-round opener Sunday against the winner of Friday night's game between Puerto Rico and Cuba.

"From now on it's going to be very interesting what's going to happen in Puerto Rico. But we're excited about it and we're looking forward to that."

Led by a pitching staff sprinkled with top major league arms, Venezuela allowed only three total hits in consecutive shutouts over Italy and Australia the past two nights.

"The pitching has been great. They all want the ball. It's making it tough for me when I get to the ballpark, because I see all these guys going to my office and they all want the ball," Venezuela manager Luis Sojo said. "But we've got to make a decision and tonight it was the right one."

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[Collingwood]

at least we put up a fight against the venezuelans who should have whooped our a****

[ShadeTree#55]

Usa! Usa Usa!

[MSUJet85]

Netherlands' Martis hurls no-hitter vs. Panama
Associated Press
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- San Francisco Giants minor leaguer Shairon Martis pitched the first no-hitter in the World Baseball Classic, leading the Netherlands over Panama 10-0 Friday in a game stopped after seven innings because of the tournament's mercy rule.

Martis ended the game with his 65th pitch -- the limit for starting pitchers in the first round -- when Cesar Quintero hit into a a double-play grounder. Martis walked one -- Olmedo Saenz with two outs in the first -- and struck out none. The only other he allowed was when Adolfo Rivera reached on fielding error by third baseman Ivanon Coffie leading off the seventh.

Martis, a right-hander who turns 19 on March 30, signed with the Giants as a free agent on Feb. 10, 2004. He was 2-1 with a 1.85 ERA in five starts and six relief appearances last season for the Giants' Arizona Rookie League team.

Dick Tidrow, San Francisco's vice president of player personnel, expects Martis to play this season for either Single-A Augusta in the Southern League or short-season A ball at Salem-Keizer in Oregon.

Tidrow gave a thumbs-up when reminded of what Martis had just accomplished.

"I looked at the box and he's a strike thrower," Tidrow said. "He's got good stuff. He's a young kid and still developing. He has average stuff but throws strikes. He's good."

Given a 5-0 lead before he threw a pitch, Martis had the first complete game and shutout in the tournament.

Randall Simon's RBI single off Miguel Gomez put the Dutch ahead, Dirk van Klooster had a two-run double, shortstop Orlando Miller made an error that allowed another run in and Hainley Statia hit an RBI single.

Gomez, who was the loser, allowed three runs and four hits in one-third of an inning.

Games in the tournament are stopped if a team is ahead by 10 runs after seven innings.

Netherlands 10, Panama 0 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

A no-no, wow :ohmy:

[MSUJet85]

USA 17, SOUTH AFRICA 0 (5 INNINGS, MERCY RULE)

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- After a day of uncertainty
about their future, Ken Griffey Jr. and the rest of Team USA
left nothing to chance.

Griffey homered twice and Roger Clemens struck out six in 4 1/3
innings as the United States clinched the final berth in the
second round of the World Baseball Classic with a 17-0 thrashing
of overmatched South Africa.

Derrek Lee also homered and Alex Rodriguez and Chase Utley had
three hits apiece for the Americans (2-1), who joined Mexico as
the qualifiers out of Pool B. Both countries will be joined by
Korea and Japan from Pool A in Anaheim, California in the second
round from March 12-16.

A heavy favorite in Pool B with a team comprised of major league
stars, Team USA was in danger of getting eliminated after
Wednesday's stunning 8-6 loss to Canada. However, the United
States controlled its own destiny after the Canadians dropped a
9-1 decision to the Mexicans on Thursday.

The Americans made sure that there would not be another upset
against South Africa (0-3) by scoring four runs in the first
inning and six in both the second and third.

Rodriguez opened the scoring with a two-run double off South
African starter Carl Michaels and Lee followed with a two-run
blast two batters later. Griffey hit three-run blasts in each
of the next two frames as Team USA broke open the game.

It was more than enough for Clemens, who extended his Hall of
Fame career by at least one game. The seven-time Cy Young Award
winner, who has not decided whether he will return for a 23rd
major league season, allowed just one hit. The South Africans
cheered "The Rocket" when he was removed from the game with one
out in the fifth.

Mike Timlin and Chad Cordero recorded the final two outs before
the mercy rule was invoked.



USA 17, SOUTH AFRICA 0 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Pool A
China
Chinese Taipei
*Japan
*Korea

Pool B
Canada
*Mexico
*United States
South Africa

Pool C
*Cuba
Netherlands
Panama
*Puerto Rico

Pool D
Australia
*Venezuela
Italy
*Dominican Republic

*advanced to 2nd round

[MSUJet85]

Dominicans finish unbeaten in pool play
Associated Press

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Francisco Liriano flashed the nasty stuff that makes him one of the most prized pitching prospects in baseball, and the Dominican Republic held off Australia 6-4 Friday night to finish undefeated in the first round of the World Baseball Classic.

The star-laden Dominicans (3-0) had already clinched first place in Pool D and a trip to San Juan for the second round. They will open with Angels ace Bartolo Colon on the mound Sunday night against Cuba.

Shut out in its first two games on a total of two hits, Australia brought the potential tying run to the plate in the ninth inning. But Glenn Williams, who hit .425 in 40 at-bats with the Minnesota Twins last season, popped up against Damaso Marte for the final out.

Luis Polonia pinch-hit for David Ortiz in the fourth inning and finished 2-for-2 with an RBI single for the Dominicans. The 42-year-old fan favorite played his last major league game in 2000.

Alberto Castillo hit a two-run double off loser Damian Moss, Wily Mo Pena had an RBI single and Miguel Tejada added a sacrifice fly to the delight of 11,083 mostly Dominican Republic fans who sang and bounced to a tambora beat as they did all week in The Ballpark at Disney.

Australia finished 0-3 but finally scored its first runs of the tournament. Held to one hit in each of their previous two games, the Aussies broke out for seven against the Dominican Republic.

Winning pitcher Daniel Cabrera of the Baltimore Orioles started and allowed one run on three hits in 3 1/3 innings.

The 22-year-old Liriano followed with 2 2/3 impressive innings, fanning six and throwing 27 of 36 pitches for strikes in his first outing of the tournament.

The Twins' left-hander struck out 33 batters and walked seven in 23 2/3 big league innings last season, going 1-2 with a 5.70 ERA in six appearances.

Marte earned a save after Australia scored twice in the ninth against Duaner Sanchez of the New York Mets.

Australia loaded the bases with none out on a single, an error and a walk, but Sanchez got Luke Hughes to bounce into a run-scoring double play.

Trent Durrington of the Boston Red Sox followed with an RBI single before Marte retired Williams, who was pinch-hitting.

Durrington drew a leadoff walk from Cabrera in the first inning, stole second and scored on Brett Roneberg's sacrifice fly.

Brendan Kingman hit an RBI single in the sixth for an unearned run against Liriano.

Moss went 12-6 with a 3.42 ERA in his 2002 rookie season with the Atlanta Braves and pitched in the playoffs that year against San Francisco. But he often struggled with his control, and spent last year with Triple-A Tacoma in the Seattle Mariners' organization.

Australia, which won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, was embarrassed in its WBC opener, a 10-0 loss to Italy that was stopped in the seventh inning because of the mercy rule. But the Aussies hung right in there the past two nights with effective pitching against Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, two of the strongest squads in the tournament.

Game notes
Ronnie Belliard started at 3B for the Dominican Republic instead of Adrian Beltre, who had three homers and eight RBI in the first two games. ... Phillies prospect Bradley Harman doubled, singled and finished the tournament with three hits for Australia. He also made a leaping grab at SS of Willy Taveras' line drive. ... Australia's Gavin Fingleson tried to beat out a double play with a headfirst slide toward first but never made it to the bag.

Dominican Republic 6, Australia 4 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Williams, Beltran homer in Puerto Rico's romp
Associated Press
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Bernie Williams and Carlos Beltran homered and Puerto Rico routed Cuba 12-2 in a World Baseball Classic game Friday night that was strictly for pride, with both teams having already secured spots in the second round.

Williams, named the best player in Pool C, hit a two-run homer to right in the second before a home crowd of 19,000 fans. Beltran hit a towering three-run homer right over the foul pole in right field and Cintron added a two-runs shot in the fourth.

Cuba walked eight hitters, allowed 10 hits and let the game wrap up early. The mercy rule went into effect and play was called after seven innings.

It's just the second time Cuba has lost a game by the mercy rule. The other was against Taiwan in 1983.

Cuba scored in the second and seventh innings.

Puerto Rico starter Dickie Gonzalez pitched four innings and gave up two hits and one unearned run for the win.

Puerto Rico's Jose Santiago was ejected from the game in the seventh inning for hitting Juan Carlos Moreno with a pitch on the back. Manager Jose Oquendo was also ejected. Both benches had received warnings from the home plate umpire.

Puerto Rico opens the second round against the Dominican Republic and Cuba plays Venezuela on Sunday at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

Tournament organizers said that approximately 75,000 fans attended the six-game series between the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Panama.

Puerto Rico 12, Cuba 2 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[Cakes]

Beltran has blonde hair now.

[MSUJet85]

Round 2

Pool 1: Anaheim, Calif.
Date Time (ET) Matchup Stadium
Sun. March 12 4 p.m. Japan vs. USA Angel Stadium
Sun. March 12 11 p.m. Mexico vs. Korea Angel Stadium
Mon. March 13 10 p.m. USA vs. Korea Angel Stadium
Tue. March 14 7 p.m Japan vs. Mexico Angel Stadium
Wed. March 15 10 p.m Korea vs. Japan Angel Stadium
Thu. March 16 7:30 p.m. USA vs. Mexico Angel Stadium

Pool 2: San Juan, P.R.
Date Time (ET) Matchup Stadium
Sun. March 12 1 p.m. Cuba vs. Venezuela Hiram Bithorn
Sun. March 12 8 p.m. Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic Hiram Bithorn
Mon. March 13 1 p.m. Dominican Republic vs. Cuba Hiram Bithorn
Mon. March 13 7 p.m Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico Hiram Bithorn
Tue. March 14 7 p.m Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic Hiram Bithorn
Wed. March 15 7 p.m. Cuba vs. Puerto Rico Hiram Bithorn

2nd Round schedule

[ShadeTree#55]

Take it to Japan. I like Chipper as the DH. Wright should have made it over Jeter. Arod to short. Its a cold hard fact, Wright is a far better offensive player than Clutch-master Clutch.

USA! USA! USA!

[Jonathan_Vilma]

Beltran has blonde hair now.
Must be a trend in Mets players.

[Cakes]

Must be a trend in Mets players.

Roger Clemens (with the Blue Jays) was the first guy who I remember dying his hair blonde.

[Learn To Swim]

Cuba is pummeling powerhouse Venezuela, 6-0 in the 6th.

[Drew]

1-0 Japan.

[Learn To Swim]

Jeter bunts for hit in the first inning and one of the annoncers starts spieling about how he always comes up with the big play.

A-Rod soon grounds into an inning ending double play.


It's baseball season!

[poiu]

Can someone explain to me why on earth 4 of the best 5 teams are in the same pool???

[Learn To Swim]

Can someone explain to me why on earth 4 of the best 5 teams are in the same pool???So the US has a smoother road

[Learn To Swim]

HR for Larry Jones to put USA on the board.

3-1 Japan

[The Dark Knight]

3-1 Japan.

Tough begining.

[Out for the Season]

amazing Puerto Rico defeated the Dominican Republic 7-1, I am shocked

[MSUJet85]

Cuba capitalizes on miscues to stun Venezuela

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Cuba proved its point that it could hold its own against teams with major league star power.

Ten-time Gold Glove winner Omar Vizquel missed a double play opportunity and gave up an additional out on a fielder's choice, and Cuba capitalized with a five-run sixth inning in a 7-2 victory over Venezuela on Sunday in the second round of the World Baseball Classic.

Eduardo Paret
Al Bello/Getty Images
Cuban shortstop Eduardo Paret scored two of Cuba's seven runs.

Frederich Cepeda hit a three-run homer and Ariel Pestano followed with a solo shot as the underdog Cubans broke out after Johan Santana departed.

"Both teams played great baseball," Cuban manager Higinio Velez said. "Two days ago we told everyone to wait patiently for today's game. ... This is what Cuban baseball is all about. Our players wanted to come back strong after losing in a mercy rule game and they came through."

The Cubans were routed by Puerto Rico 12-2 in their final game of the first round, but had already clinched a berth in this round along with the powerful Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

With Cuba ahead 1-0, right-hander Giovanni Carrara replaced Santana, the Minnesota Twins ace who threw 67 pitches, 13 short of the 80-pitch limit for this round.

Leadoff hitter Eduardo Paret sparked the rally with a four-pitch walk and a stolen base, his second of the tournament. Michel Enriquez rolled a single over second base to score the speedy Paret, and Yulieski Gourriel popped out to left for the first out.

Designated hitter Osmani Urrutia hit a grounder to the left of Vizquel, who was unable to step on second before Enriquez reached safely, and it was too late to throw out the runner at first.

Carrara got a groundball to second from Yoandri Garlobo that looked like an inning-ending double play. Second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo tossed the ball to Vizquel for the first out, but the crafty shortstop could not get a grip on the ball to throw to first, and Cepeda followed with his three-run drive.

"Clutch hitting has been the missing ingredient for us," Venezuela manager Luis Sojo said. "The Cubans are very good fastball hitters and they showed they were ready whenever they got that pitch."

Venezuela scored its only two runs in the seventh on Endy Chavez's home run to right with Alfonzo on second.

Cuba took an early 1-0 lead in the second. Designated hitter Yoandri Garlobo doubled down the first-base line, moved to third on a grounder to short by Pestano, and scored on Ariel Borrero's single to left field.

Detroit Tigers right fielder Magglio Ordonez got Venezuela's first hit of the game in the fifth with a liner to left. Pedro Lazo replaced starter Yadel Marti after Ramon Hernandez singled to center. Lazo bobbled Alfonzo's grounder to load the bases with no outs.

But Chavez and Vizquel hit fly balls that were too shallow to score the slow Ordonez, and Carlos Guillen struck out swinging on a 97 mph pitch.

Venezuela's chance to move on to the semifinals will hang the shoulders of a pair of Chicago starters, hard-throwing Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs and White Sox veteran Freddy Garcia.

Zambrano will pitch for Venezuela against Puerto Rico on Monday, and Cuba meets the Dominican Republic.

"We have Carlos on the mound tomorrow and Freddy comes next, and we'll have to work hard to get to San Diego," Sojo said.

Santana, the unanimous American League Cy Young award winner in 2004, struck out five in five innings and gave up two hits and one earned run.


Also See
World Baseball Classic standings
The standings for the World ...

WBC schedule
Here is the complete schedule ...

Rojas: Cubans playing for respect
There's no longer any doubt ...

Cuba 7, Venezuela 2 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Korea beats Mexico to stay unbeaten in Classic
Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jae Seo pitched 5 1/3 strong innings, Seung Yeop Lee hit a two-run homer, and Korea beat Mexico 2-1 Sunday night for its fourth straight win in the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 42,979 at Angel Stadium, where 32,896 watched the United States beat Japan 4-3 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader to begin Round 2. Alex Rodriguez drove in the winning run for the Americans with a two-out single in the ninth.

Single games will be played Monday through Thursday to complete the second round. Korea, 3-0 in the opening round, plays Team USA on Monday night.

Seo allowed only two baserunners, giving up a solo homer to Luis Alfonso Garcia leading off the third and a one-out single to Vinny Castilla in the fourth.

Seo, who threw 61 pitches and struck out four, was relieved by Dae Sung Koo after retiring Juan Castro to start the sixth. In two WBC outings, Seo has given up four hits and one run in nine innings.

Koo worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings before Tae Hyon Chong struck out all three batters he faced. Chan Ho Park, Korea's fifth pitcher, worked a scoreless ninth for his third save in as many chances in the WBC, striking out Geronimo Gil with a runner at third to end the game.

Lee lined a full-count pitch from Rodrigo Lopez over the fence in right field in the first for his fourth homer, tying him with Adrian Beltre for the WBC lead. The 29-year-old Lee is 6-of-14 with nine RBIs in Korea's four games. Jong Beom Lee singled before Lee's homer.

Lopez gave up only one baserunner after Lee's homer, but left after three innings after having thrown 72 pitches -- eight shy of the maximum allowed in the second round. Elmer Dessens followed with two shutout innings.

Korea 2, Mexico 1 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

USA opens Round 2 with win on A-Rod's clutch hit
Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Even the Americans figured they caught a break.

Alex Rodriguez hit a bases-loaded, two-out single in the ninth to give the United States a 4-3 victory over Japan on Sunday in the opener of Round 2 in the inaugural World Baseball Classic after the losers appeared to be deprived of the go-ahead run.

Alex Rodriguez
AP Photo/Chris Carlson
Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-5, including this game-winning single up the middle with two outs in the USA's 4-3 win Sunday.

It looked as though Japan broke a 3-3 tie against Joe Nathan in the eighth when Akinori Iwamura flied to left with one out and the bases loaded. Tsuyoshi Nishioka beat Randy Winn's throw home, and second base umpire Brian Knight ruled safe when Team USA appealed the play. But plate umpire Bob Davidson overruled the call following a brief discussion with the other umpires.

"The wrong umpire made the initial call," Davidson said in a statement issued afterward. "That's the plate umpire's call. I had it lined up. It's my call, and I had him leaving early and called him out."

Davidson is one of 22 major league umpires who lost their jobs in the 1999 labor dispute. He's now a minor league ump who fills in at the big-league level.

"It gave us a huge lift. I mean, it changes the game," said Team USA first baseman Derrek Lee, who hit a two-run homer in the sixth to tie the game. "You don't see a call like that overturned very often, so we definitely got a gift right there.

"But we'll take it, it worked out for us."

It didn't appear Nishioka left before Winn made the catch on the television replay, and Japan manager Sadaharu Oh argued to no avail.

"It's just unimaginable that this could have happened, or this did happen, in the U.S. where baseball is very famous and popular," Oh said through a translator. "And it's a pity that it was overruled."

Team USA manager Buck Martinez said he didn't know if he's ever had a call like that reversed.

"I know I've appealed a play once in Fenway on a very similar type of play, once in Seattle," he said. "That was a good feeling today to have that one go in our favor. I had a really good look at it. Everybody on the bench reacted the same way, which validates what I thought was happening."

Japan loaded the bases in the top of the ninth on three walks before winner Brad Lidge, Team USA's sixth pitcher, struck out Hiyoshi Tamura to end the inning.

Vernon Wells opened the bottom half with his third hit and Winn sacrificed, but reached first when second baseman Nishioka drew an error for coming off the base while catching third baseman Akinori Iwamura's throw.

Loser Kyuji Fujikawa threw out Wells at third on Michael Young's attempted sacrifice, and Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Ken Griffey struck out before Rodriguez appeared to be jammed on a 1-1 pitch, but his grounder got past Fujikawa and Nishioka's sliding attempt behind second was unsuccessful as Winn scored from third.

The run was unearned because of Nishioka's error. Rodriguez went 2-for-5, making him 7-of-14 in the Classic.

"It was the first opportunity of this sort that I had, and that was definitely good," he said. "I definitely felt very proud."

Chipper Jones also homered for the Americans and Ichiro Suzuki homered for Japan.

An announced crowd of 32,896 attended the opener of Round 2. South Korea beat Mexico 2-1 Sunday night before a crowd of 42,979 at Angel Stadium, where single games will be played Monday through Thursday to complete the second round.

The fans began a "USA! USA!" chant for the first time in the game with one out and one on in the sixth, and Lee responded a few pitches later by hitting a 3-1 delivery from Naoyuki Shimizu over the left-center field fence.

Shimizu was called twice for going to his mouth while on the mound -- an automatic ball -- shortly before Lee connected. The first came before a 2-1 pitch to Jones, who walked, and the second prior to the first pitch to Lee.

Suzuki, not known for his power, hit Jake Peavy's third pitch of the game into the right-field bleachers to give Japan a 1-0 lead.

Japan made it 3-0 in the second on a two-out, two-run single by Munenori Kawasaki, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup. Jones led off the bottom half by hitting a 3-1 pitch from Koji Uehara into the right-center field seats for his second WBC homer, making it 3-1.

"Derrek Lee's home run was the biggest blow of the game because we felt like if we could just get the game tied and turn it over to our bullpen, we would scratch out a run somewhere," Jones said. "The bullpen was a little shaky there in the eighth and ninth, but those guys bowed their necks and made pitches when they had to and we got the benefit of a call.

"It's a shame that that play is the one everybody's going to talk about, because it was a well-played game on both sides and both teams should be commended and applauded."

Peavy, who worked three scoreless innings in Team USA's 2-0 first-round victory over Mexico, gave up three runs and five hits in five innings. He used 67 pitches and settled down after a rocky start, retiring nine of his last 10 batters.

Uehara allowed seven hits and one run in five innings, using 75 pitches. The pitch count is up to 80 from 65 in the first round.

Dontrelle Willis will start Monday night when Team USA faces South Korea, and Roger Clemens is scheduled to pitch Thursday for the Americans against Mexico.

The WBC semifinals will be played Saturday in San Diego, where the winners will meet for the championship of the inaugural Classic two days later.

United States 4, Japan 3 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Puerto Rico's pitchers shut down Dominicans
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Jose Cruz Jr. went 3-for-5 with three RBI, and four Puerto Rico pitchers combined to shut down the Dominican Republic in a 7-1 win in the second round of the World Baseball Classic on Sunday night.

Pitchers Javier Vazquez, Jose Santiago, Kiko Calero and J.C. Romero combined to limit the Dominicans to one run and six hits.

"Who's got more pitching? Who's got more hitting? You have to show that on the field," Vazquez said. "Everyone knows the Dominicans have great hitters and there's no doubt about it. But I hope that the people who had doubts about our pitching staff start to recognize that we too have good pitching."

Los Angeles Angels starter Bartolo Colon matched Vazquez in the early going, allowing one run and four hits in five innings, but Puerto Rico roughed up reliever Damaso Marte in the sixth.

Carlos Beltran walked and Javy Lopez doubled to left to open the inning. Cruz then drove in both runners with a base hit and went to second on a throwing error by center fielder Willy Taveras. He went to third on Jose Valentin's single and scored on Alex Cintron's bunt hit to give Puerto Rico a 4-1 lead.

Valentin had a two-run single in the seventh to extend the lead to 7-1.

Vazquez allowed a solo homer to Seattle Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre in the second but settled down after that, giving up one run and three hits in five innings. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter.

Santiago followed Vazquez with 1 2/3 shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk. Calero walked one in 1 1/3 innings, and Romero shut out the Dominican Republic in the ninth.

Moises Alou went 2-for-4 for the Dominican Republic.

Puerto Rico 7, Dominican Republic 1 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

DOMINICAN REP 7, CUBA 3

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico(Ticker) -- The Dominican Republic rode a
strong effort by Odalis Perez and took advantage of some poor
defense to keep alive its World Baseball Classic title hopes.

Perez pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings and the Dominicans scored
three unearned runs early en route to a 7-3 victory over Cuba.

After Sunday's 7-1 loss to Puerto Rico in the first game of the
second round, the Dominican Republic (4-1) faced a virtual
must-win situation against Cuba and got a much-needed solid
performance from Perez.

The Los Angeles Dodgers lefthander yielded just three hits and a
walk while the powerful Dominican lineup built a 5-0 lead
through four innings.

With one out in the third, Miguel Tejada of the Baltimore
Orioles opened the scoring with a two-run double. One out
later, Cuban third baseman Michel Enriquez fielded a routine
ground ball by Moises Alou, but his throw sailed over the head
of first baseman Ariel Borrea, allowing two more runs to score.

Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Ronny Paulino doubled down the left
field line in the fourth and scored when Borrea failed to
backhand Polanco's grounder to make it 5-0.

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz blasted a towering home run
to right field in the fifth and drew a bases-loaded walk in the
sixth to push the lead to 7-0.

The Cubans (3-2) scored once in the seventh and twice in the
ninth before Fernando Rodney struck out Joan Carlos Pedrosa on a
3-2 count with the bases loaded to end it.

Vicyohandry Odelin took the loss for the Cubans, allowing three
runs - two earned - and two hits in 2 1/3 innings.


Dominican Republic 7, Cuba 3 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[Italian Seafood]

Odalis had a good outing, that's encouraging. The WBC is getting pretty good.

[SettlerDawg]

What Bulls***! I was hoping to finally catch a game, and what do they do? They show tennis instead! What the hell! The WBC is thriving, its exciting, and the US is playing the best team in its pool. And we can't watch the damn game! And whats worse is that espn shows the score on their update thing, so you're gonna end up finding out the score before you can even see the beginning of the game! What the hell?!

[MSUJet85]

Puerto Rico held to seven hits in first loss of tourney
Associated Press

RECAP | BOX SCORE

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Facing elimination from the World Baseball Classic, Venezuela overpowered Puerto Rico on the mound and at the plate.

Victor Martinez hit a grand slam, Carlos Zambrano combined with six pitchers on a seven-hitter and Venezuela defeated Puerto Rico 6-0 in the second round of the World Baseball Classic on Monday night.

Zambrano struck out five in four innings, giving up two hits and two walks. Carlos Silva, Rafael Betancourt, Gustavo Chacin, Victor Zambrano, Jorge Julio and Francisco Rodriguez allowed five hits over the final five innings.

Endy Chavez hit a two-run homer off Joel Pineiro in the fifth and Martinez extended Venezuela's lead to 6-0 with a grand slam in the eighth as Puerto Rico lost for the first time in the tournament.

"We've been quiet offensively and today we came through when we needed it," said Venezuela manager Luis Sojo. "It's not a secret that our fine pitching has kept us afloat in this tournament."

Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba and the Dominican Republic are now tied with a 1-1 record.

Venezuela plays the Dominican Republic on Tuesday night and Cuba meets Puerto Rico on Wednesday. The winners will advance to the semifinals.

"This win will lift our team's spirit because tomorrow we'll play a crucial game. Our offense stood tall today," Chavez said.

With two outs in the fifth, Chavez hit his second homer of the WBC on Pineiro's 3-1 pitch.

"I wanted to put the ball in play and he put good wood on it," Pineiro said. "It was a sinker. ... He hit it to the right part of the ballpark and the wind was blowing that way."

Pineiro left the game one batter later after walking Omar Vizquel on four pitches. Reliever Pedro Feliciano got a pop fly to left from Bobby Abreu to close the inning.

Venezuela loaded the bases in the eighth with walks to Vizquel and Abreu, and Miguel Cabrera was hit by a pitch. Martinez followed with a drive to right off Ivan Maldonado.

"We came here today with only one task in mind: to win. We knew it would be tough because Puerto Rico's line up is of a very high class," Martinez said.

Silva replaced Carlos Zambrano in the fifth and benefited from an odd double play.

Jose Valentin opened the inning with a single and reached third on a single by Alex Cintron. Alex Cora bunted, but catcher Ramon Hernandez fielded and threw to Vizquel at second to force out Cintron. Then Vizquel threw to third and Valentin was tagged out.

Bernie Williams made the third out with a fly to center. Silva scattered four hits in two innings with one strikeout.

Pineiro pitched out of a jam in the second with two runners on base and no outs. Victor Martinez walked and Hernandez singled to left. First baseman Javy Lopez made a sliding catch in foul territory to retire Hernandez. Magglio Ordonez hit a grounder to short for an inning-ending double play.

Pineiro pitched 4 2/3 innings. He had three strikeouts and allowed two runs on four hits and three walks.

Venezuela 6, Puerto Rico 0 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Errors, Choi's HR help Korea stay unbeaten
Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Team USA received another poor performance from Dontrelle Willis, plus a lack of timely hitting.

Hee Seop Choi
AP Photo/Chris Carlson
Hee-Seop Choi watched his three-run homer sail into the night -- and land just fair in the second row of the right-field stands.

And what seemed to be a proper strategical move backfired. No wonder the Americans lost.

Hee-Seop Choi's three-run homer off Dan Wheeler in the fourth inning was the key blow Monday night as Korea beat the Americans 7-3 to remain the only unbeaten team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 21,288 at Angel Stadium.

"When they got a good pitch to hit, they didn't miss it," Team USA manager Buck Martinez said. "They pitched very effectively to the heart of our order. We hit some balls hard. They made quality pitches when they had to."

Korea (2-0) will play its final game of Round 2 against Japan on Wednesday night. Japan (0-1) will face Mexico (0-1) on Tuesday, and Team USA (1-1) will play Mexico on Thursday in other Round 2 action. The top two teams will meet Saturday in the semifinals at Petco Park in San Diego.

Korea led 3-1 when Min Jae Kim, who had three hits, doubled with two outs in the fourth. Seung Yeop Lee was walked intentionally before Choi hit a towering fly ball into the right-field corner that barely eluded Vernon Wells, landing just fair and in the second row, making it 6-1.

Lee put Korea ahead for good by hitting his WBC-leading fifth homer off Willis in the first. Lee came to the plate in the fourth with seven hits in 15 at-bats, seven runs and 10 RBI in the Classic, making the decision to walk him seem reasonable.

But Choi, a Los Angeles Dodgers reserve who was pinch-hitting for Tae Kyun Kim, spoiled the strategy.

"Lee has been red hot in this tournament," Martinez said. "I just felt like it was the best move. I felt like we would take our chances. Hee-Seop Choi, we knew him very well. We just didn't get the ball in on him. He got enough of it to hit it over the fence."

The Americans didn't play anywhere near their best. They put the first two runners on base in the first, fourth and fifth innings, but failed to score each time. They stranded 11 runners and committed three errors after making only one in the first four games.

"We definitely could have played better," said first baseman Mark Teixeira, who went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts. "Anytime you lose, there are things you could have done better.

"We could have hit better, we could have fielded better, we could have pitched better. But they just beat us."

Team USA's problems started with Willis, who had his second bad outing of the Classic, giving up four hits, four walks and three runs in three innings.

"I just had bad rhythm today," he said. "I think I was very composed out there. I had a great game plan, I just didn't execute. I'm just not playing the best baseball I can possibly play. My confidence is still up."

Martinez said he hasn't lost confidence in the Florida Marlins left-hander.

"I don't think there's a man in that clubhouse who doesn't want to give the ball to Dontrelle Willis," Martinez said. "It's just a matter of giving him one more chance. We're going to do everything we can to give him the ball."

Choi, who hit three homers in a game against Minnesota last season, said this one was more meaningful.

"This is different -- it's for my own country," he said through an interpreter. "And we were able to beat the U.S., which is the best team in the world."

Korean manager In Sik Kim seemed surprised by his team's convincing victory.

"Something happened today which nobody could believe," he said. "This is a collection of all the best of the major league players. It's very difficult to believe what happened. But this is baseball. You never know what might happen."

Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr. had three hits each for Team USA. Griffey hit his third homer of the Classic and drove in two runs.

After Lee's two-out homer in the first, the winners got another run on a walk and singles by Ji Han Song and Bum Ho Lee.

Griffey homered with two outs in the third off Min Han Son, but Korea countered on Bum Ho Lee's RBI grounder in the bottom of the inning.

Kim's run-scoring single off Mike Timlin in the sixth made it 7-1. The run was earned despite two errors in the inning by second baseman Chase Utley, who was booed when he came to the plate to lead off the seventh.

Team USA scored twice off Tae Hyon Chong in the ninth on a run-scoring single by Griffey and an RBI grounder by Alex Rodriguez before Seung Hwan Oh retired Chipper Jones on a grounder to second to end the game.

Son allowed two hits and one run in three innings in his second effective outing of the Classic. Reliever Dae Sung Koo pitched three shutout innings for Korea.

"We had our chances right from the first inning," Jeter said. "We just didn't get any hits with guys on base. I don't know if you can learn from it. I'm well aware of what it takes to win. We just didn't do it."

Korea 7, United States 3 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[Cellar-door]

The US should be out, they lost to korea, and only won against JApan because of that terrible call

[MSUJet85]

Dominican one-hits Venezuela, advances to semis
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Pitching for his country has brought out the best in Daniel Cabrera.

Duaner Sanchez
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Duaner Sanchez pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings to earn the save as the Dominican Republic advanced to the semifinals.

The 24-year-old right-hander threw four hitless innings and the Dominican Republic one-hit Venezuela to advance to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic with a 2-1 victory Tuesday night.

"From the first moment I heard that there would be a Classic, I started preparing for this," said Cabrera, who was 10-13 with a 4.52 ERA for the Baltimore Orioles last year. "I've never been a part of such an important game like this."

He struck out seven with one walk as the elimination game in Group 2 turned into a classic pitchers duel, with the go-ahead run scoring on a passed ball by Venezuela catcher Ramon Hernandez in the sixth.

"Daniel deserves all the credit," Dominican manager Manny Acta said. "We had several scoring opportunities to break the game open. We didn't do it, but our pitching staff came through."

Francisco Liriano, Miguel Batista and Salomon Torres followed Cabrera, and Duaner Sanchez pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings to earn a save.

Venezuela loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth on two walks and an error by Miguel Tejada, but Edgardo Alfonzo flied out to right for the final out.

Singles by Alberto Castillo and Placido Polanco, and a walk by Tejada loaded the bases in the sixth for the Dominican Republic. With two outs, Albert Pujols took a 2-0 pitch from Kelvim Escobar that brushed off Hernandez's mitt and allowed Castillo to score from third.

Acta said the only change in the roster for the semifinal game in San Diego will be the substitution of pitcher Damaso Marte, who is injured.

"We will using the line up that you saw out there today. It's not time to make big changes. That line up won the last to games for us," Acta added.

The end
It's not common to see professional, millionaire ballplayers cry. But the scene occurred in Venezuela's clubhouse after being eliminated from the WBC.

"Long faces, with tears in their eyes" is how manager Luis Sojo described his players' mood following the loss to the D.R.

"It's sad to see a team of this magnitude be eliminated," he added. "Really sad."

With a roster full of major leaguers, Team Venezuela was one of the favorites to win the Classic, but its offense never took off.

"We were not able to get in a groove offensively, and that's why we're out," said Sojo.

Venezuela's two best power hitters -- Miguel Cabrera and Bobby Abreu -- were a combined 0-18 in the second round.

"Cabrera started well, but just couldn't get it going in this second round," said Sojo. "I still give credit to the pitchers."

-- Ricardo Zuñiga

The Dominican Republic will play the winner of Wednesday's Puerto Rico-Cuba game in the semifinals Saturday. Bartolo Colon will pitch for the Dominican Republic.

"There is no tomorrow," Acta said. "If we don't win the next game we're not going to the final, so we're not going to be holding off on anyone. Bartolo is the ace of our staff, and he's going to pitch that game."

The Dominicans took a 1-0 lead in the first against starter Freddy Garcia. Polanco singled, moved to third on a double by Tejada and scored on Moises Alou's infield single. But it could have been much worse for Garcia.

After the first two hitters reached, Pujols made the first out with a grounder to third and Garcia intentionally walked David Ortiz to load the bases. Adrian Beltre lined to right for the second out, but Alou drove in Polanco with a soft grounder to third. Juan Encarnacion grounded out to Garcia to close the inning.

Omar Vizquel doubled off Liriano for Venezuela's first hit with one out in the sixth to put runner's at second and third.

Bobby Abreu tied the game at 1 with an RBI groundout to second and Miguel Cabrera made the third out on a grounder to third. Abreu and Cabrera went 0-for-18 in the second round.

"These guys are proven hitters in the major leagues," manager Luis Sojo said. "There really wasn't much to do. They're our best hitters and I wasn't going to sit them on the bench or put them at the bottom of the order."

"I wish good luck to Many Acta and his team and I hope they win this trophy for the Caribbean because we've shown the whole world the talent that we have," Sojo added.

Garcia allowed one run on four hits and a walk. He struck out four in four innings. Escobar pitched three innings, giving up an unearned run on two hits and one walk.

Dominican Republic 2, Venezuela 1 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Japan win over Mexico puts U.S. on elimination brink
Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Team USA will be cheering for Korea to beat Japan on Wednesday night. U.S. hopes of winning the inaugural World Baseball Classic could disappear if the Japanese prevail.

Daisuke Matsuzaka allowed one hit in five shutout innings, and Japan beat Mexico 6-1 on Tuesday in the second round of the WBC, putting the United States in danger of being eliminated before its next game.

Korea (2-0) can earn a berth in the semifinals by beating Japan (1-1). If that happens, the United States (1-1) would also make it by beating Mexico (0-2) on Thursday.

But if Japan beats Korea, the Americans could be eliminated from contention even before playing Mexico. That would happen if Japan wins in a nine-inning game and allows seven runs or less because of the complicated tiebreaker system being employed.

That kind of outcome is a distinct possibility, since Japan has allowed only 13 runs in five WBC games; Korea has given up seven.

"That's the way it is -- we created it ourselves," U.S. manager Buck Martinez said about his team's sticky situation. "That's the unique aspect of this. Now, it's up to Korea and Japan."

The semifinals will be played Saturday and the final Monday in San Diego.

Japanese manager Sadaharu Oh said he wouldn't gain any special satisfaction in eliminating the Americans in the wake of Team USA's controversial 4-3 victory over his team Sunday.

"If we can win, there won't be any problem, we'll be happy with that," Oh said through an interpreter. "What happened happened. It's already in the past. It's done. So it's over. So what we're looking at is in the future."

Japan appeared to score the go-ahead run in the eighth inning against Team USA on a one-out, bases-loaded sacrifice fly, but umpire Bob Davidson ruled the runner left third base before the catch was made. A television replay appeared to indicate otherwise. The Americans scored the winning run in the ninth.

Matsuzaka walked two, struck out two, and threw 73 pitches in his second exceptional performance of the WBC. He allowed three hits and one run in four innings in a 13-3 first-round victory over Chinese Taipei.

"His pitching was his best performance I've seen in the Classic," said Japanese catcher Tomoya Satozaki, who had three hits, including a two-run homer. "He pitched very effortless. His fastball was very powerful. I told him to throw fastballs. I wasn't worried whether the Mexican team could hit them. I didn't think they could."

Matsuzaka said he began preseason preparations early because of the Classic.

"This time of the year, usually we're not perfect yet," he said. "I tried to push it early a little bit, I tried to adjust. It's not really a psychological issue. I was expecting this. Tomorrow, we will try our best to succeed. We cannot lose anymore."

Satozaki homered off Esteban Loaiza to cap a four-run rally in the fourth that provided Japan with all the offense it would need.

Miguel Ojeda led off the eighth by hitting a solo homer off Yasuhiko Yabuta for Mexico's only run.

Ichiro Suzuki added an RBI single -- his second hit of the game -- in the ninth off Luis Ayala to complete the scoring.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 16,591 at Angel Stadium.

Because of the tiebreaker system, it would take a low-scoring, extra-inning win against the United States for Mexico to possibly reach the semifinals. And that could only happen if Korea beats Japan, leaving the possibility of three teams finishing Round 2 with 1-2 records.

"We still have one game to go and we're going to try very hard," Mexico manager Paquin Estrada said. "We're going to try and finish it like we should."

Loaiza, who signed as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics during the offseason, allowed seven hits and four runs in four innings. He threw 75 pitches.

"My pitching wasn't always in the strike zone. I never thought that would happen," Loaiza said. "It's too bad it couldn't have been like in Phoenix."

Loaiza allowed three hits and one run in a five-inning outing last week.

Jorge Cantu's first-inning single was the only hit off Matsuzaka. Juan Castro greeted Tsuyoshi Wada with a single to open the sixth, but Wada retired the next six batters.

Akinori Otsuka worked a scoreless ninth for Japan, with Luis Alfonso Garcia grounding into a game-ending double play. Mexico never sent more than four batters to the plate in an inning, and it stranded only four runners.

Japan 6, Mexico 1 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[Italian Seafood]

The DR-Venezuela game was good, Duaner Sanchez got the save after loading the bases with 2 out in the 9th.

[MSUJet85]

Cuba holds on to beat Puerto Rico, advance to semis
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The Cuban relay was perfect and Ivan Rodriguez was cut down at the plate _ and now Cuba is safely into the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic.

Yulieski Gourriel threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the seventh inning and the Cubans held on for a 4-3 victory Wednesday night over Puerto Rico.

Ormari Romero allowed one run in four innings for Cuba (2-1), which will play the Dominican Republic in the single-elimination semifinal game on Saturday in San Diego.

"This team is the world champion and the Olympic champion. We didn't get that for free," Cuba manager Higinio Velez said.

In the first round of the WBC, Puerto Rico beat Cuba 12-2 in a game stopped by the mercy rule after seven innings. But in a game that was win or go home, the Cubans got revenge in front of a raucous Puerto Rican crowd, despite having two close umpires' calls go against them late in the game.

"They have a lot of good players that any team in the United States would be happy to add to their rosters," said Puerto Rico manager Jose Oquendo, who is also the third base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cuba was up 4-1 when Puerto Rico rallied in the seventh.

With runners at the corners and no out, pinch hitter Ricky Ledee hit a grounder to second baseman Gourriel, who tried to turn a double play. But Gourriel's throw pulled shortstop Eduardo Paret off the bag and Cuba managed to get only one out while giving up a run.

Velez was ejected for arguing the call with second base umpire James Hoye. Replays appeared to show Paret just barely off the base.

After Bernie Williams, who homered in the first inning, hit into double play to leave a runner at third and two outs, Rodriguez walked.

Carlos Beltran lined a single to center to bring in Cintron and center fielder Carlos Tabares bobbled the ball. Ramirez relayed to Gourriel and Rodriguez was thrown out at the plate trying to score the tying run from first.

"All we wanted to do was to show the quality of Cuban baseball," Gourriel said.

With the lead down to 4-3 in the eighth, Puerto Rico put runners on first and second with one out.

Jose Valentin then reached safely when pitcher Vicyohandry Odelin's throw in the dirt wasn't fielded cleanly by first baseman Joan Carlos Pedroso. It appeared on replays that Pedroso trapped the throw between his arm and his body.

Cuba argued the call to no avail and the bases were loaded. But Alex Cintron followed with an inning ending double play on a grounder to short.

Cuba scored three runs in the fourth on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded and a throwing error by Cintron, his third of the Classic. Cintron's wild throw allowed two runs to score and put Cuba up 4-1.

Puerto Rico left five runners in scoring position with two outs.

After the Cubans scored a run in the first without a hit, Williams leadoff with a home run to tie the game.

Romero allowed three hits and struck out three. Odelin pitched the final two innings for the save.

Puerto Rico starter Dicky Gonzalez gave up four runs, two earned, in 3 1/3 innings. He had three strikeouts and four walks.

Cuba 4, Puerto Rico 3 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Korea beats Japan, clinches semis; US still alive

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Team USA still has a chance to win the World Baseball Classic thanks to Korea.

Now, it's up to Roger Clemens and his teammates to take advantage of the opportunity.

Chan Ho Park and four relievers combined to pitch a six-hitter, Jong Beom Lee hit a two-run double in the eighth, and Korea beat Japan 2-1 Wednesday night to clinch a berth in the semifinals of the inaugural WBC.

The Americans, who would have been eliminated with a low-scoring win by Japan, can wrap up the other semifinal berth in Group One on Thursday with Clemens on the mound by beating Mexico.

"I'll tell you what, I don't know that I've ever been as nervous watching a baseball game as I was in this one," Team USA manager Buck Martinez said. "What a great game that was. It's a big relief, obviously. We were all very anxious for this game tonight. Japan is a very good baseball team.

"It was a well-played game, both teams showed tremendous hearts. There were great defensive plays and key pitching."

Martinez said there's no better big-game pitcher in baseball than Clemens, the 43-year-old right-hander who might be pitching his final game.

"The other night when we were playing Korea, Roger was studying the Mexican hitters' hitting charts," Martinez said. "He is into it. We certainly hope to give him some run support and let him do his thing."

Clemens, who has won 341 games in his big league career, has said he's leaning toward retirement after the Classic.

Korea went 3-0 in Round 2; the United States is 1-1, Japan finished 1-2, and Mexico is 0-2. The Americans beat Mexico 2-0 in the first round last week.

Korea and Japan were scoreless when Min Jae Kim drew a one-out walk in the eighth off Toshiya Sugiuchi, and Byung Kyu Lee followed with a single. Center fielder Tatsuhiko Kinjoh's throw to third arrived ahead of Kim, but Toshiaki Imae juggled the ball, and Lee took second on the play. Imae wasn't charged with an error.

Kyuji Fugikawa relieved, and Jong Beom Lee lined a 2-1 pitch to the left-center field gap. Lee raised his fists in triumph as the ball dropped in, but he was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka homered off Dae Sung Koo to begin the bottom of the ninth for Japan's only run. Noguhiko Matsunaka hit a one-out single before Seung Kwan Oh struck out the next two batters to end the game.

Korea beat Japan 3-2 in first-round action last week in Tokyo.

"I think we are as good as they are, but we lost," Nishioka said through a translator. "We just have to face that Korea is a good team.

"We have to see how the U.S. does. We still have a chance."

The game was played before an announced crowd of 39,679 at Angel Stadium, with most of the fans pulling for Korea. They chanted and banged their blue and white Thunderstix, often cheered even when a Korean hit a foul ball, and booed enthusiastically every time Japanese star Ichiro Suzuki came to the plate.

When the game was over, with the crowd waving Korean flags, the winners took a victory lap around the stadium.

"I was aware of the fact that there were a lot of Koreans living in this area," Jong Beom Lee said. "I didn't know there were that many. I was very touched by their cheering.

"I'm very happy that we beat Japan and we will work much harder to be in the finals."

The semifinals will be played Saturday and the finals Monday at Petco Park in San Diego. The Dominican Republic and Cuba are the semifinalists from Group Two.

Park went five innings, allowing four hits while walking none and striking out three. The San Diego Padres' right-hander threw 66 pitches, 50 of them strikes.

Japan's Shunsuke Watanabe was even better, going six innings and giving up only one hit with two walks and three strikeouts. Watanabe, a 29-year-old right-hander with a submarine delivery, threw 74 pitches, 46 of them strikes, and retired the last 13 batters he faced.

Korea put two runners aboard with two outs in the second, but Watanabe struck out Min Jae Kim to end the inning. Korea wouldn't get another baserunner until the seventh.

Korean right fielder Jin Young Lee made a perfect throw to nail Akinori Iwamura trying to score from second on Tomoya Satozaki's two-out single in the bottom of the inning.

Iwamura left the game at that stage because of pain in his right hamstring, a spokeswoman for the Japanese team said, adding the injury wasn't serious. Iwamura was replaced by Imae.

"We gave everything we had," Japanese manager Sadaharu Oh said. "All the games were hard-fought games. It was also showing that our lineup had trouble scoring runs against real tough pitching."

Korea 2, Japan 1 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[28rogerblaze51]

All US has to do is beat mexico.

[Italian Seafood]

Japans's going to be pissed.

[ScotsJet]

Korea's the surprise package, but why are the semis made up with teams from the same pool playing each other? Surely Winner A v Runner-up B and Winner B v Runner-up A would make sense? You could theoretically have the same teams playing for the third time in the semis. Not good scheduling.

[ShadeTree#55]

Usa Usa Usa

[Barry the Baptist]

Korea's the surprise package, but why are the semis made up with teams from the same pool playing each other? Surely Winner A v Runner-up B and Winner B v Runner-up A would make sense? You could theoretically have the same teams playing for the third time in the semis. Not good scheduling.


It's done this way so the United States has the best chance to make the finals. The only Latin team they have to play is Mexico and twice at that. I grew tired of this worthless tourney when the US was handed a victory over Japan. I've learned if Bud Selig is involved in anything it's corrupt and not worth the hype. If the US was on the other side playing DR, PR and Cuba they would already be home.

The US is going to win but is anybody really going to care? Like I said the entire tourny reaks of Bud Selig and his shady doings. IMO the WBC is a sham and unless the US doesn't win it probably won't be back in 4 years which is exactly why Bud is going to do everything in his power to make sure the US wins, even at the expense of the integrity of the game. Oh wait that's nothing new......

[Italian Seafood]

I don't agree with that. What is in it for them to rig it for the US to win? There are recognizable major leaguers on most of the teams except Cuba, it doesn't matter who wins. They set it up so the geographic rivals would play each other. The Latin American games were awesome, the flip side is that the US has no real international rivals in baseball. Not yet, anyway.

[ButtleMan]

I will watch the game tonight since it will be broadcast live but ESPN has done a horrible job televising the games.
How can you promote the games if it is getting shown on tape delay on ESPN Deportes?

[Italian Seafood]

I will watch the game tonight since it will be broadcast live but ESPN has done a horrible job televising the games.
How can you promote the games if it is getting shown on tape delay on ESPN Deportes?

Now this I agree with. I need to see poker and tennis for 6 hours? Show the games.

[wa2k99]

And last night they're showing college softball instead of the games or at least Quite Frankly?! Sad sad sad!

[ShadeTree#55]

I put out my flag this morning.

Beat those Mexicans.

[Exit 117]

Why even have a set of rules if they aren't going to be followed?

[typeOnegative13NY]

Now this I agree with. I need to see poker and tennis for 6 hours? Show the games.
Or how about freakin Poker?! Thats a sport? Thats alm ost as bad as calling Tiger Woods the best athelete.

[Drew]

C'mon US! WTF?!?

[Drew]

ARod up with a runner on 1st, 1 out... 9th inning..

Will he choke? or come through?

[Drew]

Walked, 1st and 2nd, 1 out for Vernon Wells.

[Drew]

Vernon Wells Sucks.

USA Eliminated.

[AMJets]

Heh. They suck.

[typeOnegative13NY]

What an effin embarassment!! We lost to freakin Mexico to get eliminated.

[Cakes]

Not enough Mets on the US team. That's why they lost.

[MisterMoss]

Not enough Mets on the US team. That's why they lost.
Not enough Americans on the Mets team either.

[AMJets]

What an effin embarassment!! We lost to freakin Mexico to get eliminated.

Hey, atleast we don't have to worry about more Yankees getting hurt. Bud's garbage tournament already f**ked up Damon's shoulder, last thing we needed was something happening to Jeter or A-Rod.

[typeOnegative13NY]

Hey, atleast we don't have to worry about more Yankees getting hurt. Bud's garbage tournament already f**ked up Damon's shoulder, last thing we needed was something happening to Jeter or A-Rod.
Yeah,i definetly agree there. Damons sholulder was like a told-ya-so. I just can't believe what a poor showing the US had. They were lucky to make it as far as they did.

[Drew]

So...

We lose in Basketball (Athens), Hockey, Baseball...

sheesh. World Football Classic anyone? We're sure to win that, I would hope...

[Barry the Baptist]

So...

We lose in Basketball (Athens), Hockey, Baseball...

sheesh. World Football Classic anyone? We're sure to win that, I would hope...


Yes but we still have the fastest quarter mile runners on the planet

[devilonthetownhallroof]

Hey, atleast we don't have to worry about more Yankees getting hurt. Bud's garbage tournament already f**ked up Damon's shoulder, last thing we needed was something happening to Jeter or A-Rod.

Damon has had a bad shoulder going back to last year. He would have hurt it either way.

[ScotsJet]

So now Korea, who have beaten Japan twice, have to face them yet again to get to play in the final. I think we all know Japan will win that game and the Koreans will be sick about it, and rightly so.

[AMJets]

Damon has had a bad shoulder going back to last year. He would have hurt it either way.

It wouldn't have happened this early if they didn't have to speed up to get ready for this dumb thing.

[devilonthetownhallroof]

Isn't it better that it happened now so he'll be ready for opening day instead of in two weeks so he wasn't?

[MSUJet85]

U.S. eliminated from WBC with 2-1 loss to Mexico

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Roger Clemens was looking for a much better finish to his brilliant career.

Clemens pitched well Thursday night, but a lineup loaded with All-Stars couldn't get the job done for the United States.

Roger Clemens
Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Roger Clemens exited after 4 1/3 innings on Thursday, and said the action might have been his last: "For me, right now, it's goodbye."

Oliver Perez and seven relievers combined to pitch a three-hitter to lead Mexico past the Rocket and Team USA 2-1 on Thursday night, eliminating the Americans from the inaugural World Baseball Classic and putting Japan in the semifinals.

When it was over, Clemens implied that he had thrown his final pitch.

"For me, right now, it's goodbye," he said in a brief statement issued through Team USA. "I felt great tonight and my body responded well. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to participate in this event. It made all the work I did in the last six weeks worthwhile."

Clemens, who has won 341 games and struck out 4,502 batters in 22 big-league seasons, wasn't at his best. The 43-year-old right-hander allowed six hits and two runs in 4 1/3 innings with no walks and four strikeouts. He threw 73 pitches -- seven below the maximum for the second round.

Clemens was randomly chosen for a drug test after the game, ESPN has learned.

The outcome was a stunner, especially considering the offensive firepower on the Americans' roster even without Derrek Lee and Johnny Damon, sidelined with sore left shoulders.

Team USA scored only eight runs in three second-round games.

"It's a tough bite to chew," catcher Michael Barrett said. "The expectations on us to win and getting upset is a credit to their style of play and their pitching. We put everything we had into this in such a short time, and didn't get it done."

Korea had a 3-0 second-round record in Group One, with Team USA, Japan and Mexico all going 1-2. Japan earned the second semifinal berth from the group by allowing the fewest runs in games between the tied teams.

Japan, which has already lost twice to Korea in the Classic, faces its archrival in Saturday's second semifinal game in San Diego, with the Dominican Republic meeting Cuba in the daytime opener. The winners play Monday for the championship.

"You're never prepared for defeat. We always prepare to win," Team USA manager Buck Martinez said. "It's a disappointing loss, for sure. We never really exploded with the bats.

"The quality of the pitching we saw in this tournament was certainly much better than I expected on a consistent basis."

Martinez said Clemens didn't object to being removed from the game.

"Rocket looked at me and looked fatigued," Martinez said. "He says, 'What do you got out there?' That was a sign that he felt like I did. We probably had a better shot with a fresh arm out there."

Scot Shields entered with runners at first and third and one out, and Jorge Cantu's grounder drove in what proved to be the winning run.

"My perfect scenario would have been that I come in for Roger and clean up his mess," Shields said. "I got the chance and I didn't do it, and that hurts. That run that scored was the winning run and it eliminated us. It's pretty hard to take."

Perez allowed only one hit in three scoreless innings, and the Mexican bullpen retired 12 straight batters until Chipper Jones drew a one-out walk off Jorge De La Rosa in the ninth. Luis Ayala then walked Alex Rodriguez, but David Cortes needed only one pitch to get Vernon Wells to ground into a game-ending double play.

"We came here to win, and that is how we performed this evening," Mexico manager Paquin Estrada said through a translator.

Regarding Clemens, Estrada said: "He's a person that I respect, and I've kept the lineup as a souvenir to this occasion."

Mexico took a 1-0 lead off Clemens in the third on a leadoff double by Mario Valenzuela and a two-out single by Jorge Cantu.

But it wasn't that simple.

A television replay showed Valenzuela's fly ball hit the right field foul pole at least 10 feet off the ground and bounced back onto the field. However, first base umpire Bob Davidson didn't see it that way, and Valenzuela wound up at second.

It was Davidson, umpiring behind the plate, who ruled that Japan's Tsuyoshi Nishioka left third base early in the eighth inning Sunday to negate a sacrifice fly that would have snapped a 3-3 tie in a game Team USA won.

The Americans tied it in the fourth off Francisco Campos when Jones doubled, took third on a fly ball and scored on Wells' sacrifice fly, barely beating right fielder Valenzuela's throw to the plate.

Valenzuela opened the fifth with a single, took second on a sacrifice and third on a single by Alfredo Amezaga before Shields relieved and Cantu drove in the winning run.

"This was for Mexico, so everyone can know in our country -- everyone can know what we're doing here so we can leave here with our heads held high," Cantu said, adding it was an honor to face Clemens.

The Americans blew an opportunity against Edgar Gonzalez in the top of the fifth, when Jeff Francoeur opened with a double and Barrett was hit by a pitch. Francoeur strayed off second when Michael Young squared to bunt, and was caught in a rundown. Gonzalez then retired Young and Derek Jeter on ground balls to end the inning.

Thanks to exceptional work by relievers Ricardo Rincon and Oscar Villareal, Team USA wouldn't have another baserunner until the ninth.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 38,284 at Angel Stadium. Among those attending was commissioner Bud Selig, a proponent of the Classic.

"The intensity has been just remarkable," Selig said. "In the end, the beneficiary of all this will be baseball all over the world. I mean, who knows, long after I'm gone, this event will be big. But more importantly than this event will be big is what it's going to do for baseball, including American baseball."

Mexico 2, United States 1 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Once Colon leaves, Cuba puts pieces together
Associated Press

RECAP | BOX SCORE

SAN DIEGO -- Frederich Cepeda and his Cuban countrymen consider themselves amateur baseball players back home, though in reality they're much closer to the level of the big-name American multimillionaires known around the world.

Only minus the money. The star treatment is there on the streets of Havana.

Major leaguers or not, Cuba's dominance on baseball's international stage is unparalleled -- and the Cubans are finally getting a chance to show it in the United States, too.

Osmani Urrutia hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning, Yadel Marti capped his sensational tournament by combining with Pedro Lazo on an eight-hitter, and Cuba defeated the Dominican Republic 3-1 Saturday to reach the championship game of the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

Rarely can Cuba play against such talent as it has seen in the Classic -- major league All-Stars at nearly every position.

"This is a revolutionary team," said Cepeda, Cuba's left fielder. "Baseball is not judged by the price of the athletes but by the heart of the people."

Wearing its lucky red uniforms for only the second time in the tournament, Cuba avenged a 7-3 loss to the Dominicans from five days earlier and moved within one victory of adding another title to the country's long list of baseball accomplishments.

Chants of "Cuba! Cuba!" began in the late innings from the crowd of 41,268 for a squad with no major leaguers. The Cubans sprinted onto the field to celebrate when Lazo struck out pinch-hitter Alfonso Soriano to end it. After hugs and high-fives, the Cubans acknowledged their fans by waving their caps.

Cuba will play Japan, a 6-0 winner over previously unbeaten Korea in Saturday's late game, in the championship of the 16-team Classic on Monday night at Petco Park.

Yoandry Garlobo had three hits, and Alexei Ramirez and Cepeda each drove in runs in their team's decisive seventh inning that featured several mistakes by the Dominicans right after they took a 1-0 lead in the sixth on an unearned run.

Cuba, champion of the 2005 World Cup, 2004 Olympics and '03 Pan American Games played in Santo Domingo, is clearly in midseason form while the Dominicans are still working to find their rhythm after the winter.

The Cubans had to wait until the Dominicans went to their bullpen following six shutout innings by reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon to get anything going offensively. Colon, a 21-game winner last year for the Los Angeles Angels, might have gone another inning had it not been for a blister on his pitching hand.

Just like the Americans, who lost 2-1 to Mexico on Thursday night for a surprising early exit from the Classic, most of the Dominican players will head back to their major league camps wondering what went wrong and left to wait until 2009 for another shot in the WBC.

The Dominicans' All-Star roster included Albert Pujols, Adrian Beltre, Miguel Tejada, David Ortiz and Moises Alou -- a team that Dominican general manager Stan Javier said a day earlier should be the best in the world.

"We should be proud," said Pujols, the St. Louis slugger and 2005 NL MVP. "We fell short. We wanted to win the whole thing for our country. ... I don't think our bats responded the way they were supposed to respond. Our pitching did their job, we just didn't find our offense. They played great defense. That's the way it goes."

The Dominicans got a big break in the sixth when Cuban second baseman Yulieski Gourriel booted a routine grounder by Beltre, then rushed the throw to first and the ball sailed over Ariel Borrero. Tejada scored on the misplay for a 1-0 lead, but it didn't last long.

Gourriel opened the seventh with an infield single off loser Odalis Perez, and third baseman Beltre made a costly mistake when his throw to first was in the dirt, allowing Gourriel to reach second. Pinch-hitter Eriel Sanchez followed with a dribbler down the third-base line for another infield single that advanced Gourriel.

Cepeda followed with an RBI groundout to tie the game, and Urrutia's single up the middle on the first pitch from reliever Salomon Torres gave Cuba a 2-1 lead. Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly three batters later.

Marti pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings to extend his scoreless streak to 12 2/3 innings in the tournament. He didn't give up a run in four WBC appearances.

Lazo then went the final 4 2/3 innings for the win. He retired Ortiz and Beltre on fly balls in the eighth with the potential tying runs aboard.

"We are all amateur players, therefore playing against major league players is the greatest victory for us," Cepeda said.

Marti received a visit on the mound before facing cleanup hitter Ortiz in the first with two runners on, and Lazo and another pitcher immediately began warming up. But Ortiz grounded into an inning-ending double play on a 3-2 pitch.

There was no lacking for Latin flavor.

Pujols carried out his country's flag before the Dominican team was introduced, with his countrymen waving flags, shaking maracas, pounding wooden sticks together and banging drums and other instruments.

Two hours before the first pitch, a group of Dominicans with flags wrapped around their bodies jumped up and down outside the stadium cheering "Dominicana! Dominicana!"

After anthems for Cuba, the Dominicans and United States were played with flags representing all 16 participating countries, the athletes met in the middle of the diamond to shake hands.

The mutual respect from both clubs was evident.

"We really went at it hard like professionals," Dominican manager Manny Acta said. "They deserve the credit. I'd rather give them credit than make excuses."

Cuba 3, Dominican Republic 1 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

Big seventh inning powers Japan to victory
Associated Press

RECAP | BOX SCORE

SAN DIEGO -- After falling short in their first two meetings, Japan beat South Korea when it mattered most.

Kosuke Fukudome
AP Photo/Chris Carlson
Kosuke Fukudome celebrates as he rounds third base after hitting a two-run, pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning.

Byung-Hyun Kim gave up another big home run Saturday night, a two-run shot by pinch-hitter Kosuke Fukudome in the seventh inning that broke a scoreless tie and sent Japan to a 6-0 victory in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic.

Koji Uehara pitched seven shutout innings for Japan, which will play Cuba for the championship Monday night at Petco Park. The Cubans advanced by beating the Dominican Republic 3-1 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

South Korea entered the nightcap as the WBC's only unbeaten team with a 6-0 record, going 3-0 in both qualifying rounds. Japan was 3-3, including a pair of one-run losses to the Koreans, and 1-2 in the second round.

Japanese star Ichiro Suzuki, who had three hits and two stolen bases, was ecstatic.

"Tonight was not about skill. It was about putting all my heart into the game. I know this is true -- not just for me, but for all the players," Suzuki said through a translator. "In each game, we've been playing better and better.

"Our hard work brought us this far. We haven't showed the whole world what we're capable of yet. That's what we're going to do on Monday."

Suzuki and reliever Akinori Otsuka, who pitched a scoreless ninth, are the only major leaguers on the Japanese roster.

"This time, as a country, we couldn't lose it," said Otsuka, formerly of the hometown San Diego Padres and now with the Texas Rangers. "The United States lost and we got a really good chance, so we had an unusual power inside us. That was a great game."

The Japanese reached the semifinals by winning a tiebreaker over the United States and Mexico. They only got another crack at South Korea because Mexico beat the Americans 2-1 Thursday in the last game of the second round.

Koji Uehara
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
Japanese starter Koji Uehara was masterful, hurling seven shutout innings, allowing only three hits and striking out eight.

Nobuhiko Matsunaka doubled off losing pitcher Byung Doo Jun to start the seventh. Kim relieved and struck out Hitoshi Tamura before Fukudome hit a 1-1 pitch into the right-field seats.

Fukudome, batting for Toshiaki Imae, flipped his bat as he left the box, certain the ball was gone. Fukudome came to the plate with only two hits, including a homer, in 19 at-bats in the Classic.

Kim hit the next batter with his first pitch, prompting plate umpire Ed Hickox to warn both benches.

After a wild pitch, Tomoya Satozaki hit a ground-rule double to make it 3-0 and chase Kim. Pinch-hitter Shinya Miyamoto and Suzuki added RBI singles off Min Han Son to complete Japan's decisive five-run rally.

Tamura opened the eighth with a solo homer off Young Soo Bae, connecting as a steady rain began to fall. A 45-minute rain delay began one out later.

"Although we won twice over Japan, I believe their level of game is perhaps better than ours," South Korea manager In Sik Kim said. "I'm deeply grateful to our players. We had seven games, and this is the first defeat we've experienced."

Kim was a two-time goat in the 2001 World Series while pitching for Arizona against the New York Yankees. He gave up a tying home run to Tino Martinez in the ninth inning and a game-winning shot to Derek Jeter in the 10th in Game 4, and another tying homer in the ninth to Scott Brosius in Game 5. The Diamondbacks came back to win the Series in seven games.

Uehara was brilliant, giving up only three hits while walking none and striking out eight before being relieved by Yasuhiko Yabuta to start the eighth. Uehara retired 13 straight batters during one stretch.

Yabuta and Otsuka each pitched one inning to complete the shutout.

"We knew that Uehara was the best pitcher that Team Japan had," South Korea's Jong Beom Lee said. "I think our team had a little bit of problem with timing. I think our batting was somewhat lacking. I think we will have more confidence next time."

South Korea starter Jae Seo allowed three hits in five scoreless innings, retiring the last six batters he faced. Seo allowed only one run in 15 innings in three Classic starts.

Jun retired the side in order in the sixth before Japan blew the game open. South Korea had given up only eight runs in 60 innings entering the seventh.

A crowd of 42,639 that included Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward attended the game. Ward's mother is South Korean.

The pro-Korean fans began banging their blue and white Thunderstix as Seo delivered the first pitch. As was the case in Anaheim on Wednesday night, when South Korea beat Japan 2-1, they cheered every strike.

Suzuki was moved from the leadoff spot to third in the lineup. He hit a two-out single and stole second in the first before Matsunaka grounded out.

Lee doubled in the bottom half and went to third on a two-out wild pitch, but Hee-Seop Choi grounded out. South Korea didn't get another baserunner until Jin Man Park hit a two-out single in the fifth.

Munenori Kawasaki doubled and Norichika Aoki walked with one out in the Japan third, but Tsuyoshi Nishioka lined into a double play.

Suzuki singled and stole second again in the fourth, but Seo retired the next three batters.

Japan 6, Korea 0 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

[MSUJet85]

The finals between Cuba vs. Japan is tonight at 9PM

[Italian Seafood]

The finals between Cuba vs. Japan is tonight at 9PM

Who do you root for? One already bombed us and the other would probably like to.

[FirstTimeCaller]

Bad move putting this game (the highlight of the month long tournament and key to marketing it next time) on so late. I'm rooting for the Japenese.

[Cellar-door]

It wouldn't have happened this early if they didn't have to speed up to get ready for this dumb thing.
it probably never stopped being sore, he hurt it fairly badly last year, and he isn't exactly known for his superior offseason workouts. I doubt the WBC did much, it's a chrocic shoulder problem, those don't go away without surgery, and often don't even with it

[kinghenry89]

Ya wanna know what the problem with the WBC is? Baseball does not lend itself to a 1 game series. Especially with starting pitchers who are afraid to go deep and hurt themselves. I for one don't think that it's coincidence that Japan and Cuba are both pretty much filled with non-major league players.

[FirstTimeCaller]

For all the naysaying and limits to what they could do.... I thought it turned out pretty well. Congrats to Jap.

[MSUJet85]

Ichiro comes up big for Japan in win over Cuba

SAN DIEGO -- Pitcher Koji Uehara formed his champagne-soaked hair into a mohawk and chanted "Ichiro! Ichiro!" through Japan's victorious clubhouse. His teammates howled, even Ichiro Suzuki himself.

Nobuhiko Matsunaka
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
Nobuhiko Matsunaka scored three runs and had three hits for Japan on Monday night.

For a night, every player with Japan on his jersey earned equal star status, and not one wasted the chance to celebrate like a World Series winner. And the typically serious Suzuki revealed an emotional side rarely seen by those around him with the Seattle Mariners.

Japan won the true world championship, capturing the inaugural World Baseball Classic 10-6 on Monday night against a gutsy Cuban squad with no big leaguers.

In the Japanese players' eyes, a trophy from this tournament meant as much or more than the thought of getting a ring in late October.

"We really wanted to win this championship today, and I didn't even think about the upcoming regular season of 2006," Suzuki said. "It's not an ideal thing for a player to think, but I really didn't care if I would get injured in this game -- that's how much I really wanted to win this one. That's how we were driven to this championship."

Gambatte, Nippon! -- "Let's go, Japan!"

Japanese coach Yoshitaka Katori, safely keeping the winning ball for the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame while his countrymen walked a victory lap, could only imagine how fans were reacting when the game ended early Tuesday afternoon in Japan.

Meanwhile, there was a feeling of sadness in the streets of Havana after the Cubans fell short of adding another major tournament title to their long list of accolades over decades of international dominance.

It was an unlikely final at sold-out Petco Park -- minus the United States and Dominican Republic teams loaded with major league stars -- and by far the most festive atmosphere since the fancy downtown ballpark opened in March 2004. Certainly it was the city's biggest baseball showcase since the 1998 World Series.

The Japanese jumped on the Cubans early playing the small-ball game that helped them get this far.

"It's wonderful," said Japan's Kosuke Fukudome, who hit a two-run, pinch-hit single in the ninth inning two days after his two-run homer as a pinch-hitter helped lift Japan to a 6-0 semifinal victory over rival and previously unbeaten South Korea.

"We came here to be the champion, and now we have it," he said.

Major League Baseball's big experiment became an instant success -- Monday's game drew 42,696 and the entire tournament attendance was 737,112 -- and commissioner Bud Selig has raved about the ratings. Japan boasted just two major leaguers on its roster.

For Cuba, there was plenty of reason to celebrate, too. The team almost didn't get to participate because of the communist Caribbean nation's touchy political relationship with the United States.

This team that considers itself a bunch of amateurs showed it can clearly compete with anybody.

"What Cuba has shown to the world is not only that we could play up to par with other major leaguers," outfielder Frederich Cepeda said. "We are not professional, we are amateur. We don't get paid for doing this. We deserve a high place in baseball because we do this with sacrifice, with human value and courage and sportsmanship, and because we give our utmost in order to come to the field and show what good baseball is all about."

Suzuki doubled, singled and drove in a run. He also scored three times, including in a four-run first when Cuba needed three pitchers to get through the inning.

Suzuki singled in the ninth to score Munenori Kawasaki on a close play at the plate and make it 7-5. Kawasaki slid, turned and stuck his right hand just inside of catcher Ariel Pestano's left foot to -- perhaps -- touch the plate. Japan broke it open on Fukudome's hit and a sacrifice fly by Michihiro Ogasawara.

Akinori Otsuka, the only other major leaguer on Japan's roster aside from Suzuki, allowed a run in the ninth before closing it out for a save. Earlier in the day, he called former Padres teammate Trevor Hoffman for permission to have AC/DC's "Hells Bells" played when he came in from the bullpen.

After the final out, Otsuka was mobbed near the mound by his teammates. The Japanese then tossed manager Sadaharu Oh into the air twice.

"It's No. 1. It's amazing. We're champions," said tournament MVP Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan's starting pitcher who's hoping he caught the attention of some major league scouts.

Two Cuban players posed with Suzuki for a photo. Selig presented the championship trophy to Japan, and Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda gave the tournament MVP award to Matsuzaka, then later made his way to Suzuki and Otsuka for a congratulatory handshake.

Following a final wave to the fans chanting his name, Suzuki scurried into the clubhouse to party.

His cap on backward, he yelled to his teammates: "You have to respect the old guy. The old guy is me."

The Baseball Hall of Fame quickly collected equipment and clothing for a season-opening WBC exhibit in Cooperstown that will show off more than a dozen artifacts from the tournament, including Suzuki's batting helmet.

From Panama to the Netherlands, Italy to Australia, the Classic provided some memorable moments Selig hopes will only boost the interest in baseball.

A crowd of Cuban fans, some draped in flags, played drums and sang in a large group outside the stadium more than two hours before the first pitch. On the ballpark's top concourse, fans waited to have tiny Cuban and Japanese flags painted on their faces.

Major league home run king Hank Aaron, with 755 homers to his name, threw out the ceremonial first pitch and signed the ball for Pestano.

"This is wonderful, no doubt about it," Aaron said. "You can tell by the fans that it's catching on and is going to get better and better."

Japan 10, Cuba 6 (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

Daisuke Matsuzaka is the tournament MVP

[Jtuds]

So...

We lose in Basketball (Athens), Hockey, Baseball...

sheesh. World Football Classic anyone? We're sure to win that, I would hope...


Canada won the last world junior football championship.....as for pros...I think the US would take that one.....

[Italian Seafood]

Good for Japan. They don't hate us anymore, right? That's how I root for teams in international competition these days, who hates us less.

[Yisman]

So I hear A-Rod won't be playing.

I also hear games start in an hour.

[Barry the Baptist]

So I hear A-Rod won't be playing.

Yeah he has a sore hip... I guess when you stop cheating your body starts to break down. He'll be fine though once he gets some more Dominican candy in him. (I'm being sarcastic)

It's a shame as I'm sure he would have loved to play for the DR in his hometown of Miami. I'm stoked as there is a good possibility I'll see Japan and Cuba when I go to San Diego next week. Maybe it's just me but would anybody mind seeing these two go at it again at Dodger Stadium. I actually hope alot of Japanese are there as I've always wanted to go to a Japanese League game for the atmosphere but I guess this is the next best thing.

[Antoni]

1-0 Japan. Any other degenerates watching this?

[Yisman]

^ apparently not


But DJ Gallo was (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.).

[cassie96]

Yeah he has a sore hip... I guess when you stop cheating your body starts to break down. He'll be fine though once he gets some more Dominican candy in him. (I'm being sarcastic)

It's a shame as I'm sure he would have loved to play for the DR in his hometown of Miami. I'm stoked as there is a good possibility I'll see Japan and Cuba when I go to San Diego next week. Maybe it's just me but would anybody mind seeing these two go at it again at Dodger Stadium. I actually hope alot of Japanese are there as I've always wanted to go to a Japanese League game for the atmosphere but I guess this is the next best thing.


That is exactly what they said on Sporting News today. They were saying that ARod's hip problems could be directly related to steroid abuse.

[Yisman]

Big matchup tonight. Venezuela-USA

[The Dark Knight]

A thread made before there was a baseball forum. Amazing!

[GQSanchez]

Oswalt is throwing gas.

[Yisman]

Canada or Italy will be eliminated tonight. No matter. They're both non-contenders.

[TommyGreen]

How is Italy part of the WBC anyway? I never thought of Italy as a baseball power.

[Exit 117]

Netherlands takes an early 1-0 lead on Puerto Rico. Wow.

[Barry the Baptist]

Netherlands takes an early 1-0 lead on Puerto Rico. Wow.

If the Dutch win they advance to the 2nd round correct? I will definately see Japan and Korea next weekend in San Diego.

[Yisman]

yeah, the Netherlands would advance to Miami with a win tonight. Trying to pull off a second huge upset.

At the World Baseball Classic Sunday, the Netherlands shocked the Dominican Republic 3-2.

The Dominicans counted famous major leaguers on their roster: David Ortiz, Miguel Tejada, Jose Reyes, Moises Alou, Willy Taveras, Edinson Volquez and Pedro Martinez. The Dutch team had one: Sidney Ponson.

Jaap De Groot, chief sports editor of De Telegraaf, agrees the game was the biggest in the history of Dutch baseball.

"We won in the past from Cuba at the Olympics in Sydney, and we ended fourth at the last two world championships, but beating a full professional Major League team, that never has happened before," De Groot tells NPR's Robert Siegel.

[SydneyDon]

Maybe the final will be Netherlands Vs Australia:breakdance:

[Barry the Baptist]

Maybe the final will be Netherlands Vs Australia:breakdance:

The soccer team is the Socceroos, the basketball team is the Boomers what is the baseball team.

[IATA]

Someone forgot to tell Canada that Italy sucks.

Down 3-0 in top 3rd.

[FirstTimeCaller]

Huge strike out by the kid, Netherlands may get this done...

[SydneyDon]

The soccer team is the Socceroos, the basketball team is the Boomers what is the baseball team.

I checked and they have no name. Not a bad thing actually. Most of those names make me cringe.

They should be known as the 'failed Cricketers':smile:

[Yisman]

Netherlands up 1-0 in the 7th.

Great pitching from Vanderhurk.

Italy up 4-2 in the 6th

[FirstTimeCaller]

Tough spot here... I love Beltran but have been rooting for the underdog all night. Bases loaded for PR...

[Yisman]

Venezuela bounces Italy. Netherlands eliminates the DR!!!!!!!

They beat them twice.

They allowed 3 runs in 20 innings to a pretty stacked lineup.

[MSUJet85]

The favorite in the tourney goes down twice to a 100-1 underdog. Epic Fail!

[quadcityjetsfan76]

How soon before the Yankess or Mets raid the Netherlands for underage prospects?

[rhodesfan16]

lol some of my best friends were rootin for the DR, its gonna be fun to laugh at them tomorrow

USA USA USA

[Yisman]

Fail (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.) .

[MSUJet85]

Fail (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.) .

Different sites have different lines, as a person who frequents the betting odds as much as you do, you should know this. My lines came from sportsbook.com

[Yisman]

Different sites have different lines, as a person who frequents the betting odds as much as you do, you should know this. My lines came from sportsbook.com

To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily. I wasn't correcting your odds. Read what I linked.

I know places have different odds. I don't correct odds. Netherlands was 100/1 at some places.

[MSUJet85]

:huh: I wasn't correcting your odds. Read what I linked.

I know places have different odds. I don't correct odds. Netherlands was 100/1 at some places.

Ah my mistake, either way this is a horrible choke job

[FirstTimeCaller]

ESPN AMERICA, as it's known here in Europe... currently not showing the AMERICAN Team playing in a much more exciting game then the PR game (that they are showing currently)... FTW!!!!

[WhiteShoeWillis]

David Wright with the game winning RBI in the bottom of the 9th to advance USA!

[The Dark Knight]

USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

WHAT A GAME!!! :beer:

It was INTENSE!! CAN'T GO WRONG WITH WRIGHT!!! :beer:

Brian Roberts was impressive too. HOLY MOLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Exit 117]

David Wright, American Hero.

[Chrisp22]

The ending of that game sure will make for some good conversation in the Mets clubhouse in the near future. Wright knocks out Delgado (who homered) and Beltran (Who made a marvelous catch at the wall).

Goes to show the WBC can actually be fun!!

[Barry the Baptist]

I will be in Dodger Stadium next week for the championship game and I'm hoping for a US vs Japan final. The Japanese fans would be insane and the fact that the US would be playing would certainly bring out some locals. A close 2nd choice would be Korea vs Japan for the 5th time in this thing.

[ShadeTree#55]

Why is Jeter starting?

[The Dark Knight]

The Captain usually starts, yeah.

[kbgreen]

Why is Jeter starting?

I think because of injuries, they have lost like 4 players this week.

[Exit 117]

Why is Jeter starting?

Intangibles, or something.

[ShadeTree#55]

Rollins is ten times the player Jeter is right now.

[Exit 117]

But does he have the intangibles? Is he "The Captain"? Does he have some other mystic crap that somehow compensates for his average defense?

[asbcheeks]

Seriously, his range left is atrocious at this point. PR tacked on that insurance run thanks to him.

Rollins DH'd too. If both guys are gonna be in the lineup anyway, Jeter playing short is all about sparing his ego.

[Yisman]

we're down to the final four.

Japan, USA, South Korea, and Venezuela.

It's running into March Madness, though. The final four isn't going to get a lot of viewers.

[The Dark Knight]

What was with the attendance in Miami? Nobody showed up. Shows how much of a joke the WBC is sadly.

[devilonthetownhallroof]

What was with the attendance in Miami? Nobody showed up. Shows how much of a joke the WBC is sadly.

Or how much of a joke Florida sports fans are. Put those games in any of the Caribbean countries or Japan and they all sell out.

[Yisman]

Venezuela-South Korea on Saturday.
USA-Japan on Sunday.

[kbgreen]

cool I have 3 of the 4 teams on vbookie! USA had aweful odds so I went with the other 3

[Italian Seafood]

What was with the attendance in Miami? Nobody showed up. Shows how much of a joke the WBC is sadly.

What do they show up for in Miami?

[JetBlue]

As I left my office yesterday, a large police cavalry escorted a bunch of buses up the street. I thought it had to do with Barrack Obama being in town, until I brushed shoulders with Derek Jeter in front of the Biltmore Hotel. I told my brother (Yankee fan) I would have gotten a picture with him, but he wasn't David Wright. My brother cooly retorted that my phone probably couldn't handle the glare of a World Series ring.

[Yisman]

cool I have 3 of the 4 teams on vbookie! USA had aweful odds so I went with the other 3

yeah, USA and DR were not worth it because of the odds.

I bet on Japan and Cuba mostly. Cuba was just eliminated. :(

[kbgreen]

yeah, USA and DR were not worth it because of the odds.

I bet on Japan and Cuba mostly. Cuba was just eliminated. :(

I had PR as my 4th team, I look at it this way at least if I loose the USA wins!

[Yisman]

South Korea game is on 1050 AM now

[Yisman]

It appears it will be South Korea vs. the winner of USA-Japan tomorrow in the finals on Monday night.

Japan-US at about 8 PM EDT in Dodger Stadium.

If the US wins tomorrow, there will probably be more South Korea fans than US fans at the finals.

Those will be Monday night at about 9 PM EDT in Dodger Stadium.

[Yisman]

I would say the winner of tomorrow night's game is at a disadvantage due to having only like 20 hours between games.

[kbgreen]

I would say the winner of tomorrow night's game is at a disadvantage due to having only like 20 hours between games.

only if they go like 14 innings or something crazy, Baseball is played almost everyday in season so they should after 3 days off play two back to back without a problem

[JetBlue]

if the U.S wins today, I'll be field level at the game tomorrow. my company shares an office with one of our licensees, which is a Korean company, and they have a slew of tickets for the game. but that may be moot, it is raining here today.

[Yisman]

only if they go like 14 innings or something crazy, Baseball is played almost everyday in season so they should after 3 days off play two back to back without a problem

pitching staff.

[Yisman]

USA-Japan going on right now.

[Yisman]

radio (To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.)

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[Yisman]

Wright comes through again!

Looks like he's USA's MVP.

[Yisman]

4-2 Japan now.

[BadgerOnLSD]

6-2. Argh.

[BadgerOnLSD]

My brain is confused by rooting for David Wright.

Edit: and of course he's out. Great.

[Exit 117]

I personally still root against Jeter. It's okay if you root against Wright.

[rhodesfan16]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa we need one fuckin run

[BadgerOnLSD]

I personally still root against Jeter. It's okay if you root against Wright.
I never root against the Mets unless they're playing the Yankees. I was just confused that I wasn't neutral.

[devilonthetownhallroof]

Excellent, I have my money on Japan to win it all. I am a little confused as to why they would start Matsuzaka against the US when the hitters are more familiar with him than they would be with Darvish, but whatever.

[rhodesfan16]

The US gotta tight shit up and fuckin win this game I dont wanna see the Japanese in the finals again

[Exit 117]

David, that bounced in front of the plate. WTF are you swinging at?

[rhodesfan16]

David, that bounced in front of the plate. WTF are you swinging at?

he is a man-skank

[BadgerOnLSD]

David, that bounced in front of the plate. WTF are you swinging at?
It was a sneaky jap pitch.

[WhiteShoeWillis]

So what do you guys think the USA needs to change to win this thing? The announcers must sound like they're whining to the rest of the world when they're talking about Davey Johnson being handcuffed as a manager when they're down 6-2 here. I think they have some reasonable points but at the same time I'd rather see some things fixed than hear the announcers talk about why the USA is struggling.

Should the WBC run at a different time of year?
Should the US use minor leaguers?
Should the MLB managers take the handcuffs off?
Take more steriods?

[BadgerOnLSD]

Woooooooo 6-4

Edit: fine, don't finish rallying.

[WhiteShoeWillis]

Woooooooo 6-4

Edit: fine, don't finish rallying.

Awesome hearing the USA chant though.

[SydneyDon]

Awesome hearing the USA chant though.

Is that the 'U.S.A...U.S.A' chant?

I'm sorry to say guys but that is almost lamer than our 'Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi' chant.

Both are embarrassing.

[Exit 117]

And that's why Jeter should be DH'ing and Rollins at SS.

[BadgerOnLSD]

And that's why Jeter should be DH'ing and Rollins at SS.
I blame you for rooting against him.

[Yisman]

Is that the 'U.S.A...U.S.A' chant?

I'm sorry to say guys but that is almost lamer than our 'Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi' chant.


oi oi oi

Having Jeter as your shortstop is just painful. :(

How about Dunn DHing, Jeter on the bench, Rollins at short, and someone else in RF? Oh well.

[WhiteShoeWillis]

Is that the 'U.S.A...U.S.A' chant?

I'm sorry to say guys but that is almost lamer than our 'Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi' chant.

Both are embarrassing.

I love the Ausie Ausie Ausie chant too. Joe Hachem is a badass poker player.

anywho

U.S.A, U.S.A., U.S.A.!

edit: damn Japs scored again.

[Exit 117]

David Wright: American Hero.
Derek Jeter: Terrorist in Disguise.

[BadgerOnLSD]

David Wright: American Hero.
Derek Jeter: Terrorist in Disguise.
American Heroes don't strike out with runners on base to end the inning.

[Yisman]

so they're using up Darvish. This will hurt them tomorrow night.

Finals in like 21 hours from the end of this.

[Exit 117]

American Heroes don't strike out with runners on base to end the inning.

Fair enough. But Jeter is a terrorist. Hell, he comes from a terrorist organization. One of his comrades flew a plane into a building! That has terrorist written all over it!

[Barry the Baptist]

I'll be at the final tomorrow night, should be a fun night of baseball with 2 Asian powers going at it. I would have liked to see the US but I was really hoping for Japan vs Korea and it appears barring a miracle that's what I'll get. BTW Japan or the US at a serious disadvantage tomorrow night.....

[Exit 117]

I'm glad ESPN is capturing the many facial expressions of Derek Jeter. They should make a montage. Also, David Wright, wtf.

[Yisman]

finals start now

[Barry the Baptist]

Bong is in trouble ..... not even through the 2nd inning yet and he has already thrown 50 pitches.

[Barry the Baptist]

BTW definately a pro Korea crowd in Dodger Stadium.... these people are insane. I've never seen or heard anything like the Korean fans in the 25+ years I've been watching baseball.

[Learn To Swim]

Korea's lineup is awesome.

Lee, Lee, Kim, Kim, Choo, Lee, Ko, Park, Park.

[Cakes]

Bum Ho Lee is a great player.

[SydneyDon]

Lee, Lee, Kim, Kim, Choo, Lee, Ko, Park, Park.

do8uble post

[SydneyDon]

Lee, Lee, Kim, Kim, Choo, Lee, Ko, Park, Park.

Walla walla bing bang

[Barry the Baptist]

I can't believe it, it's the 3rd inning and I can alerady see a line of cars exiting Dodger Stadium....

[Barry the Baptist]

Korea's lineup is awesome.

Lee, Lee, Kim, Kim, Choo, Lee, Ko, Park, Park.

When I sawe them last week in San Diego they had 4 Lee's in the lineup and no Choo.

[jonnyd]

we go toegther like Lee Lee Kim Kim Choo Lee Park Park

[Barry the Baptist]

The Korean fans go nuts after every single strke or out, I've never seen anything like it.

[Cakes]

Bum Ho Lee kicks ass.

[jonnyd]

The Korean fans go nuts after every single strke or out, I've never seen anything like it.

because theyre retarded and eat rancid cabbage