I have actually enjoyed some of the WBC games. Team USA was supposed to be a dream team, and yet they scored 6 runs against the team that Canada scored 18 against, and got pummeled by Team Mexico in Game 2. Team USA plays Team Canada on Monday at 7:00 PM PDT, and Team Columbia on Wednesday at 7:00 PM PDT.
Pool A – All five teams ended with a 2-2 record. The tie breaker is:
The tied teams shall be ranked in the standings according to the lowest quotient of fewest runs allowed divided by the number of defensive outs recorded in the games in that round between the teams tied
Pool A – Cuba (1) and Italy (2) advance based on the tie breaker.
Pool B – Japan advances after going 4-0 in their 4 games. Australia went 3-1 and advanced.
Pool C – Saturday:
Colombia 5 – Mexico 4 (10 innings)
Dodgers participating were Julio Urías and Austin Barnes. Urías pitched 5.0 innings. He retired the first 12 batters, but ran into trouble in the 5th. First two batters, Jorge Alfaro and Elias Díaz, doubled for a run. Reynaldo Rodriguez followed with a 2-run HR. Urías then retired the next three batters in order. Urías registered 6 Ks and 0 walks.
Rodriguez was the hitting star for Colombia going 3-4. Rodriguez played 9 seasons in MiLB, never reaching MLB. He has been toiling in the Venezuelan, Mexican, and Colombian Leagues (Regular Season and Winter) since September 2016. For his 9 MiLB seasons, Rodriguez slashed .264/.335/.483/.818 with 116 HRs. You would think he would have had a shot with some4 MLB team.
The other Dodger on Team Mexico is Austin Barnes, Barnes went 2-4 with a double. Former Dodger Alex Verdugo went 1-5. Another former Dodger, Guillermo Zuniga pitched the final 2.0 innings for Colombia for the win. In his 2.0 IP, he gave up 1 hit, 1 BB, and 4 K.
USA 6 – Great Britain 2
Trayce Thompson hit a HR off Adam Wainwright in the top of the 1st to give GB a 1 run lead.
Mookie Betts led off the bottom half of the 1st with a long fly to LF. Paul Goldschmidt reached on a fielding error, moved to 2nd on a wild pitch, and scored on a Nolan Arenado double. Arenado scored on a 2 out single by Kyle Tucker.
Kyle Schwarber slugged a 3-run HR in the 4th. A pair of Cardinals joined again to score a run on the 6th. Goldschmidt singled and came home on Arenado’s 2nd double.
Adam Wainwright went the 1st 4.0 IP. Kyle Freeland pitched 3.0 innings. David Bednar closed out the 9th with 3 Ks.
Mookie went 1-5. Nolan Arenado went 3-5 with 2 doubles, 1 run, and 2 RBI’s.
Trayce Thompson went 2-4 for GB with a HR and a double.
Pool D (Saturday):
Venezuela 5 – Dominican Republic 1
A peek at the two lineups and you see very quickly that these two teams are stacked with super talent.
Venezuela:
- José Altuve
- Ronald Acuña Jr.
- Luis Arráez
- Salvador Perez
- Gleyber Torres
- Andrés Giménez
- Anthony Santander
- Eugenio Suárez
- David Peralta
Dominican Republic
- Julio Rodríguez
- Juan Soto
- Manny Machado
- Teoscar Hernández
- Rafael Devers
- Wander Franco
- Jeremy Peña
- Jeimer Candelario
- Gary Sánchez
- Francisco Mejía
The star of this game was the Dodger’s very own David Peralta.
In the bottom of the 4th, Venezuela loaded the bases with nobody out. After an infield pop-up and a strike out, David Peralta stroked a 2-out, 2-run single into RF.
In the bottom of the 6th, Eugenio Suarez drew a 2-out walk. David Peralta crushed a long double to CF to score Suarez. Run scoring double
For the game, Peralta was 2-3 with a BB and 3 RBI’s.
Pool C (Sunday):
Canada 18 – Great Britain 8 – 6 ½ innings (mercy rule)
- Canada – Freddie Freeman was 2-5, 3 runs scored, 1 BB, 1 RBI
- Great Britain – Trayce Thompson – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run. 1 RBI
Mexico 11 – USA 5
This was a train wreck for the USA. Padres pitcher Nick Martinez and Royals pitcher Brady Singer surrendered a 2-run HR and a 3-run HR to Washington Nationals 1B Joey Meneses respectively.
Team Mexico jumped out to an 11-2 lead after 7 ½ . Team USA scored one after Kyle Tucker tripled and Tim Anderson singled him home in the 2nd. They had three hits until the bottom of the 7th when Will Smith clubbed a solo HR. In the 8th, Bobby Witt doubled home a run, and Tim Anderson doubled home two more.
Hitting star for Team USA was Tim Anderson. Anderson went 2-4 with a double and 3 RBIs.
Team USA pitching was very generous. In particular:
- Nick Martinez – 2.2 IP, 3 Runs, 5 Hits, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
- Brady Singer – 2.0 IP, 4 Runs, 4 Hits, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
- Daniel Bard – 0.2 IP, 4 Runs, 4 Hits, 1 BB, 1 K
LAD players offense:
- Mookie Betts – 0-5
- Will Smith – 1-4 HR
Pool D (Sunday):
Venezuela 9 – Puerto Rico 6
David Peralta had a run scoring single in the 4th, scoring the star of the game, Salvador Perez. For the game, Peralta was 1-3, 2 BB, 1 RBI. Salvador Perez was 4-4 with 2 doubles and a HR, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs.
Former Dodger Kiké Hernández played CF for Puerto Rico. Kiké was 1-4 2 runs, and 1 RBI.
Venezuela now leads Pool D with a 2-0 record.
Israel 3 – Nicaragua 1
Former Dodger Joc Pederson played CF for Israel. He was 1-3 and a HBP. Former Dodger prospect pitcher Dean Kremer started for Israel. He pitched 4.0 scoreless innings, 3 hits, 1 BB, 4 K. And for Bums, Zack Gelof was 0-5.
Team USA pitching is not very good. And the offense is very reminiscent of the 2022 Playoff Dodgers. A lot of bark, no bite. Thus far. Stay tuned.
Some of these games are more exciting than ST games with MiLB players.
Haven’t watched a single inning. I am just not interested in this. Although it gives some rookies a lot of playing time, I would rather have the players in their own camp.
You had two of the same thoughts I did Jeff. USA pitching is not very good (of course losing CK and Nestor hasn’t helped) and the hitting is in a short term, maybe fatal, slump similar to our series against SD in the playoffs.
With regard to my interest, I’m more interested than I thought I’d be and especially interested in seeing some of the Japanese and Korean stars who may be posted this winter.
So did anybody see that instant replay in the WBC game [GBR/CAN] where the guy slid into 3b and got his hand in before the tag?
And then they upheld the call and called him out.
It looks like the Dodgers will not have to face Trevor Bauer while paying him $22MM. He is going to take his game to Japan.
I get it. For some country’s this is their big stage. Czeck Republic, China, Israel and a few others. I just do not like the teams stars away from camp. I would rather watch baseball as an Olympic sport but the Olympics are always in August.
Jordan Yamamoto has retired from MLB. He is on his way home to Hawaii.
Around baseball. Former Yankee 1st baseman, Joe Pepitone passed away today at age 82. RIP. Adrian Morejon of the Padres will have an MRI. He was shut down due to arm issues. Brandon Crawford shut down by the Giants for a knee issue. Mets starter, Jose Quintana might be down for up to three months. He has a stress fracture in his ribs. Dodgers hammer Guardians, 11-4. Busch had three hits in three at bats. Muncy hit his first spring homer. Locker room fodder. In the USA-Mexico game last night, Austin Barnes gunned down fellow catcher Will Smith trying to steal. That will be locker room fodder for months.
Leonard made an impression in camp. Ticketed for AA with some momentum. In play for MLB debut some time in 2024.