Ichiro led off the game with a homer off of Jake Peavey...
Did Japan's Tsuyoshi Nishioka, the go-ahead run on third base in the 8th inning tag just a split second too soon?
"Everybody in our dugout was emphatic that he left early," said third baseman Chipper Jones. "And they're the ones with the best views." well, every Met fan knows you can't trust Chipper "Larry" Jones, much less an Atlanta Brave, even if he is kitted up in a Team USA jersey.
Second base umpire Brian Knight, who had rotated around to third base on the play, called Nishioka safe. But no, wait. USA manager Buck Martinez came out to argue with homeplate umpire Bob Davidson, who says he saw Nishioka leave early. After a brief conversation with Knight, something along the lines of "c'mon Brian, the game's riding on this and god knows we can't rely on A-Rod to pull it out for us in the 9th...", Davidson reversed the call, ruling Nishioka out.
"It's just unimaginable that this could have happened, or this did happen, in the U.S. where baseball is very famous and popular," Japan manager Sadaharuh Oh said through a translator. "And it's a pity that it was overruled."
No no, Mr Oh. It's called homefield advantage.
And just imagine if Japan's manager had been Bobby V or Lou Piniella or some other manager with a little less quiet dignity. All hell would have broken loose.
The television replay apparently appeared to show Nishioka tagging up AFTER the catch.
"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."
Oddly enough, A-Rod did in fact single home the winning run in the bottom of the 9th in what must be the first clutch hit of his career.
Instead of an opening game loss, the USA won 4-3. Tainted, but true. A bullet dodged. One of many.
In the top of the 9th, closer Brad Lidge loaded the bases on walks in the top of the ninth, only to escape by striking out Kiyoshi Tamura to end the threat.
A-Rod, the unlikely hero, came to the plate in a situation that is every kid's dream growing up. (Well, not bloody likely, bottom of the 9th two outs, World Baseball Classic...) A-Rod was facing right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa.
On a 1-1 pitch, A-Rod was jammed, his bat broke but only after managing to squirt a grounder just past Fujikawa and between the second baseman and shortstop, a wobbly little hit into center field that allowed Randy Winn to cross the plate with the winning run. Quite exciting.
*****
Puerto Rico 7, Dominican Republic 1
Gettin' Pudgy With the Dominicans...
This has to be a shocker, perhaps the most shocking upset after Canada beating the USA. Javier Vazquez scattered three hits over five innings whilst Jose Cruz Jr. drove in three runs and Carlos Beltran scored three more, as Puerto Rico beat the Dominican Republic, 7-1, in front of 19,692 loud and crazy fans at sold-out Hiram Bithorn Stadium, i.e. homefield advantage for Puerto Rico.
Javy Lopez had three hits for Puerto Rico, including an RBI double in the fourth that tied the score after Adrian Beltre's solo homer had put the Dominicans ahead 1-0 in the second.
But the PRs erupted for six runs -- only two of them earned -- in the sixth and seventh innings for revenge. Cruz was important to both rallies, hitting a two-run double off Damaso Marte in the sixth and an RBI single off Julian Tavarez in the seventh. The Dominican bullpen battered.
Nats fans will be happy to know that all three of Puerto Rico's runs in the seventh were set up by a one-out error by Dominican Republic second baseman Alfonso Soriano who is allegedly playing in his "natural" position. Jose Valentin followed Cruz's RBI single with a two-run hit that opened a 7-1 lead.
Puerto Rico is now 4-0 and will face a staggered Venezuela team next.
*****
Cuba 7, Venezuela 2
Neo-cons must love this sight...Cuban flag waved with pride - Can you imagine anything bigger in Cuba right now, or if Cuba faces the USA? Wow...
With zero defections to date, Cuba, a team with zero MLB players on their roster finished with twice as many hits as a Venezuelan lineup that consisted entirely of players from the American Major Leagues.
"This is what we wanted to see -- this is Cuban baseball," manager Higinio Velez said through an interpreter. "Our boys recovered from the knockout that we suffered. Today was great, wonderful baseball." (The knockout of course being the 12-2 pasting they took from Puerto Rico the other day...)
After a tough start, Cuban starter Yadel Marti (1-0) matched Venezuelan starter Johann Santana (0-1). He held Venezuela hitless until Magglio Ordonez and Ramon Hernandez led off the bottom of the fifth inning with consecutive singles, and Cuba turned to veteran hard-throwing reliever Pedro Lazo, who promptly bobbled Edgardo Alfonzo's sacrifice bunt to set up the game's turning point.
Bases loaded, no outs, and Cuba clinging to a one-run advantage.
Lazo induced a pair of fly outs to the left fielder Frederich Cepeda, who quickly fired back to the infield before Ordonez could consider tagging up from third base.
Cepeda also hit a three run homer to give the Cubans a 5-0 later on in the game.
Lazo then struck out Carlos Guillen with a 97 mph fastball to strand three Venezuelan baserunners, poof, rally over, Venezuelans lose with their best pitcher on the mound and the now-mightly Puerto Rico up next.
Cuba outhit Venezuela, 10-5, despite an 0-for-5 performance by Cuba's top player, second baseman Yulieski Gourriel. Veteran Eduardo Paret, who sparked the five-run rally by drawing a leadoff walk, scored a pair of runs and three Cuban players finished with two hits.
(Met) Endy Chavez hit a two-run homer to put Venezuela on the board in the seventh, but that was the only damage against Lazo in his five innings or work.
Cuba must now face a tough Dominican team stinging from their loss to Puerto Rico.
You have to admit it, this World Baseball Classic is turning into something that next season, people will be drooling over in anticipation.
If you want to follow it in Spanish, from the horse's mouth so to speak, try reading El Habanero (the Havanese...)
*****
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