World Baseball Classic Pool C: Venezuela – Italy 10-1
ITA 000 000 100 1 6 1 VEN 000 450 10X 10 14 0
The dream is over for Italy at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Venezuela used two big innings on Tuesday at the Rogers Centre in Toronto to defeat the Azzurri with a 10-1 victory, advancing into round two, which will be held in Miami, Florida. They will face Team USA today to determine the first seed from Pool C. Italy has to go home.
The game started pretty well for Italy, holding a Venezuela zero on the board for the first three frames and even loading the bases in the second on Mike Costanzo’s double, Alex Liddi’s single and a hit by pitch against Francisco Cervelli. But Enrique Gonzalez (W 1-0, 4 IP, 2 H, 3 SO) stopped the rally and the Venezuelan offense came through in the fourth.
Marco Mazzieri replaced starting pitcher Adam Ottavino after three strong innings (1 H, 1 BB, 3 SO) with Tiago Da Silva (L 0-1) and it went downhill from there. Miguel Cabrera reached on a double, moved to third on a Magglio Ordonez single and scored on Carlos Guillen’s double, when right fielder Mario Chiarini missed a great catch at the wall. After an intentional walk, Ramon Hernandez hit a groundball to shortstop Nick Punto, which went through, scoring Ordonez and Guillen to make it 3-0. Two batters later Endy Chavez brought home another run with a sac fly to center.
Kasey Olenberger, who had relieved Da Silva in the fourth to get the final out, ran into trouble in the fifth. Bobby Abreu and Cabrera opened the frame with back-to-back homeruns to start another rally. After Ordonez reached on a double, Olenberger was substituted by Luca Panerati. He got one out, before making place for B.J. La Mura, who promptly allowed back-to-back homeruns by Jose Lopez and Hernandez, building up the lead to 9-0. La Mura got the final two outs of the frame, but the outcome was decided.
Italy finally scored in the top of the seventh loading the bases and putting a run on the board on a bases loaded walk by Jack Santora. Cervelli scored. Venezuela also added another run in the bottom of the period on a RBI single by Chavez. Roberto Corradini, Cody Cillo and Alex Maestri closed it out for Italy. Ramon Ramirez, Frankie Rodriguez and Victor Moreno finished the job, which was begun by Gonzalez.
It was a nice second World Baseball Classic tournament for Italy. Like three years ago they go home with one victory, after beating Canada 6-2 on Monday. Venezuela had just too much offensive power in the lineup to pull off a second upset.
