Skip to main content

World Baseball Classic :Team USA beats Dominican Republic, moves on to semifinals




The game: The United States survived a shaky start, avoided losing control of the game early, and held on to their biggest victory in the WBC in eight years.
Team USA, which trailed 2-0 in the first inning and in danger of going down 4-0 by the second, watched its bullpen suffocate rallies virtually every inning, with Giancarlo Stanton hitting the deciding blow with a monstrous two-run home run that broke open a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning.,
They are going to the championship round for the first time since 2009, joining Puerto Rico out of their pool. They will play Japan in the semifinal game Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. The other semifinal game will be Monday between undefeated Puerto Rico and the Netherlands.
Team USA wiggled out of jams throughout the gamer to seize the victory, with the Dominican Republic putting runners on base every inning, and in four innings having runners in scoring position. Yet, inning after inning, USA escaped, using four relievers - Pat Neshek, Clippard, Sam Dyson and Luke Gregerson - to close out the game.
The offensive hero of the game was Stanton, who had been kept out of the starting lineup the last two games, and hitting just .100 in the tournament. He finally struck, launching a two-out, two-run homer into the second deck of the Western Metal Supply Co in the left-field corner for a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning.
The defensive star was USA center fielder Adam Jones, who went to the deepest part of the ballpark, and reached over the fence to snag a home run away from Manny Machado, his Baltimore Orioles teammate, in the bottom of the seventh. Machado, showing his deepest respect, waved his helmet in appreciation, acknowledge the tremendous catch.
The sellout crowd certainly showed their appreciation for the San Diego native, chanting "A-dam Jones! A-dam Jones!" And the catch loomed large moments later when Robinson Cano shot a home run to left field off Tyler Clippard, cutting the USA advantage to 4-3.
"Off the bat, I'm like, 'Manny got him,'" Jones said in a postgame TV interview. "But I knew that California air would slow it down some."
State of Pool F: Team USA, which has reached the championship round just once in its WBC history, finally is going back, hoping to bring home the gold.
USA, which has never finished higher than fourth in the WBC, will play Japan on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium in the semifinal game and expected to start Tanner Roark of the Washington Nationals.
The powerful Dominican Republic, the defending World Baseball Classic champions, and winners of 12 of its last 13 games, is going home.
Pivot point: The Dominican Republic was threatening to blow the game open in the second inning, leading 2-0, and putting runners on second and third with no outs, and the top of their order due up. USA starter Danny Duffy, the Kansas City Royals’ opening-day starter, got Jose Reyes to pop up to second base and Machado to hit a shallow fly to center. And then Robinson Cano ended the inning with a routine grounder to short.
Team USA used the momentum to tie the game, 2-2, in the top of the third with an RBI groundout by Ian Kinsler and run-scoring double by Christian Yelich.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Utah gymnastics: Utes enjoy down time before ramping up again for Regionals

Members of Utah's gymnastics team will get back to work in the coming days to prepare for the NCAA regionals on April 1 after a few days of rest and light work to let their bodies recover. The fourth-ranked Utes are the top seed in the Fayetteville, Ark., regional, where they will compete against No. 9 Denver, No. 16 Cal, No. 21 Auburn, No. 27 Arkansas and No. 28 Central Michigan. The Utes, who won the Pac-12 title with a season-high 197.925, continue to put their focus on clean landings, the one area in which they feel they can improve, Utah co-coach Megan Marsden said. The Utes are using practice competitions and other means to focus on the landings. "They enjoy competition among themselves, and it helps to have a reason and purpose at this point in the year to keep it fresh," Marsden said. The good news is the Utes feel they can focus on the details because their training has been solid throughout the season. If anything, the coaches are toeing the line bet...
Post a Comment
Read more

Yuki Bhambri stuns defending champion Gael Monfils at ATP Citi Open

Yuki Bhambri stunned the tennis world when he defeated ATP Citi Open champion Gael Monfils 6-3, 4-6, 7-5. Yuki Bhambri had set up the second round clash with world number 22 and defending champion Gael Monfils after his first round opponent had to retire. With this win, Bhambri, who is ranked at 200, has qualified for the pre-quarterfinals. It may be recalled here that before facing Monfils, Bhambri had said while speaking to the PTI, “It’s a good test. We fight and work to play these kinds of matches and compete against the best, so it’s a good opportunity,” and added, “He is the defending champion and a class player. I have nothing to lose,” said the 25-year-old Delhi lad. Bhambri has had a lot of ups and down in his career but this win certainly ranks among the highest. However, one of his main issues has been injury concerns. Earlier, addressing the concern, Bhambri had said, “It hasn’t been ideal, yes. It’s difficult to sit on the sidelines, but I am in recovery, working wit...
1 comment
Read more

Ind Vs Aus :Ind trail by 91 runs

India opener Murali Vijay said that centurion Cheteshwar Pujara's ability to absorb pressure makes it easier for the other batsmen to play their natural game. Pujara batted through the day to remain unbeaten on 130 and keep India afloat at 360 for six, 91 runs short of Australia's first innings total of 451 on Day 3 of the their Test in Ranchi. Heaping praise on Pujara, Vijay said: "Pujara has the game for it. He takes a lot pressure. His game is such that you can depend on him and play your natural game. It goes hand in hand. We both are in good form as well, so it helps the team at the moment." Vijay and Pujara put up 102 runs together for the second wicket in the first session and successfully countered the Aussie pace attack. "I think the game is evenly-poised. If we can get closer to the target and may be if possible extend a lead from there, it would be a good game in hand. They were bowling really tight to be honest. Myself and Pujara had a ta...
Post a Comment
Read more