World Baseball Classic Pool C: Venezuela – Team USA 6-15
USA 000 208 131 15 16 0 VEN 001 202 001 6 13 0
Team USA simply out-scored Venezuela on Sunday evening in Toronto, advancing to round two of the 2009 World Baseball Classic with a 15-6 victory. They used an eight-run sixth frame to decide the outcome. Venezuela will play the winner of Monday’s Italy-Canada game on Tuesday and still could book the trip to Miami with another victory.
Venezuela actually took twice a one-run lead in the match after a RBI single by Melvin Mora in the third and RBIs by Ramon Hernandez and Gregor Blanco in the fourth. But the USA loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth against Victor Zambrano (L 0-1), tied it on a bases-loaded walk by Mark DeRosa, who had a two-run triple earlier, and went up 6-3 on a bases-clearing double from Chris Iannetta. A two-run double by Dustin Pedroia and a two-run homerun by Kevin Youkilis blew the game wide open and completed the eight-run rally.
Team USA added five more runs afterwards, highlighted by solo shots from Adam Dunn and Ryan Braun, and the fourth RBI each by DeRosa and Iannetta. Youkilis scored four times on the day. Carlos Guillen homered for Venezuela in the sixth, but the gap was too big to come back.
Roy Oswalt started for Team USA and allowed six hits, three runs and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. Matt Lindstrom (W 1-0) picked up the win with 1 1/3 perfect innings of relief. Armando Galarraga got the starting nod from manager Luis Sojo and gave up five hits, two runs and a base on balls in four innings. Zambrano relieved the Venezuelan starting pitcher with a scoreless fifth, but lost his control in the sixth. Each one of their seven used hurlers induced at least one run.
