After a weekend of overnight games and only mild surprises and upsets (Netherlands over South Korea was pretty much the only upset of the first weekend, and it wasn't nearly as big of an upset as some people are pretending that it was), the WBC got into full swing yesterday/last night. The two North American pools, Pool C and Pool D, finally kicked off and put the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, and Italy into action. As the yesterday ended in North America and today started in Tokyo, the second round of the tournament started with Netherlands and Cuba and Japan and Chinese Taipei starting their double-elimination pool with two semifinal berths on the line.
After the jump, we'll break down all of last night and this morning's action.
Second round games: Netherlands 6 Cuba 2, Japan 4 Chinese Taipei 3 (10 innings)
If Cuba thought that they got a break by winning Pool A and facing Netherlands instead of Chinese Taipei in this game, they were wrong. Netherlands jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second with a Curt Simmons home run and an RBI double from Andrelton Simmons, then put the game away in the sixth when Jonathan Schoop hit his second home run of the tournament, a three-run shot that gave the Netherlands a 5-1 lead. Diegomar Markwell went six solid innings, scattering nine hits and only allowing Alfredo Despaigne's solo homer. Markwell was also the primary beneficiary of the five double plays turned by the Dutch defense, which, frankly would be a ton of double plays for a BASEketball game and is actually only two shy of the MLB record for double plays by a team in any one game.
The win sets the Dutch team up nicely, since the second round is double elimination (kind of) instead of round robin. As a result, they only need to win one of their next two games to move on into the semi-finals. Cuba will have to win their next two games now no matter what, and it's certain that the second of those two games will be against either Netherlands or Japan.
The other second round game, between Japan and Chinese Taipei, was an absolute barnburner. Chinese Taipei took a 2-0 lead by scoring in the third and fifth and with Chien Ming Wang on the mound it looked like they were going to carry that to a second stunning upset that would ensure that both Cuba and Japan couldn't make it out of the second round. Wang came out of the game after six innings, though, having just about hit the 80 pitch limit. Japan then rallied for two runs in the top of the eighth by stringing four singles together. Reigning NPB MVP Shinnosuke Abe singled in one of the runs and Hayato Sakamoto singled in the second. Undeterred, Chinese Taipei scored in the bottom of the eighth to take another lead. Japan rallied again, though, with Takashi Toritani walking, stealing second, and scoring on Hirokazu Ibata's two-out, two-strike single. Chinese Taipei got a lead off single in the bottom of the ninth, then bunted two outs away and stranded the runner on second. Japan small-balled a fourth run home (I can't possibly describe the number of bunts in the late stages of this game without my eyes bleeding) and held down the lead in the tenth.
As a result, Chinese Taipei and Cuba will face off in an elimination game tomorrow morning at 5 AM, while Japan and Netherlands will play on Sunday at 7 AM with a berth to the semifinals on the line. The loser of the Japan/Netherlands game will then player the winner of the Chinese Taipei/Cuba game for the second semifinals berth, before a final game before the two semifinalists for seeding purposes.
First round games: Italy 6 Mexico 5, Dominican Republic 9 Venzeula 3
Earlier in the day yesterday, action in the last two first round pools (C and D) kicked off. Things started with Italy and Mexico in Pool D, playing a seesaw battle that finally ended in a mild upset. I say mild, because while it doesn't seem like Italy should be beating Mexico in baseball, look at the rosters. I said before the tournament that I thought that Italy, Mexico and Canada were going to fight over second place behind the US, and it looks now like it's going to be a real battle.
Anyway, Italy ran out to a 2-0 lead before Mexico even got to the plate, Mexico put up three runs in the first and one in the second, Italy tied it at four in the fourth, Mexico went back ahead in the bottom of the fifth, and Italy scored twice in Sergio Romo in the top of the ninth to take the lead a final time, which Jason Grilli closed out. The MLB players on the Italian team did the brunt of the damage: Chris Denorfia and Anthony Rizzo doubled and singled in the first and scored the first two runs of the game, Drew Butera hit a two-run homer in the fourth, and the ninth inning rally consisted of a Nick Punto double, a Denorfia single, and an Anthony Rizzo "double" off of Edgar Gonzalez's glove.
Italy will play Canada today at 2 PM ET. A win won't officially put them through into the second round, but it's hard to imagine Mexico or Canada winning two games, so it might. Mexico plays Team USA tonight at 9 PM ET. A win won't eliminate them (it's not THAT hard to imagine the USA going 3-0 with Mexico, Canada, and Italy all going 1-2), but it certainly won't help them.
Later last night in Pool C's first action, the Dominican Republic steamrolled Venezuela on a rainy night in Puerto Rico by a score of 9-3. Jose Reyes had four hits and scored twice. Robinson Cano had two doubles, a single, and three RBIs. Hanley Ramirez homered, and eight pitchers mostly shut Venezuela down. Only Pedro Strop worked more than an inning, so he got the win. Both of these teams are off today, with Spain and Puerto Rico at 5:30 ET making up Pool C's only action.
