First-round play in a round robin format got concluded in Pool D at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday. Team USA and Italy, as the second European club, advance to the second round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which will be played in a modified double elimination format at the Marlins Park in Miami, Florida. Both finished with a 2-1 record, as the United States ended up in first due to their win over Italy on Saturday. Canada and Mexico have been eliminated from the tournament in third and fourth.
Results First Round Pool D:
Thursday, March 7, 2013:
Mexico – Italy 5-6
Friday, March 8, 2013:
Italy – Canada 14-4 (8)
USA – Mexico 2-5
Saturday, March 9, 2013:
Mexico – Canada 3-10
Italy – USA 2-6
Sunday, March 10, 2013:
Canada – USA 4-9
Final Standings First Round Pool D:
- USA 2-1
- Italy 2-1
- Canada 1-2
- Mexico 1-2
The Dutch knock out Korea and Cuba. What happened against the USA? The Dutch can keep the Cuba big hitters fairly quiet but the Americans hit six home runs against them. It just doesn’t add up. Are the Cubans not as good as they are rated to be? Did the Americans have a lucky day? baseball can be notoriously unpredictable from one game to the next because of the importance of the pitcher. If your starting pitcher has a bad day, then you are sunk. All the more reason to have 5 game series and a straight knock-out tournament rather than mini-leagues.
Correction it was the Dutch playing japan and not the Americans.II was getting 2 games mixed up. What japan did to netherlands is even more incredulous as the Japanese could hardly hit anything out of the infield in their other games. coming into the Dutch game they had only 2 extra base hits in their previous games.You would have naturally thought that if the Dutch can keep the Cubans under control that keeping the Japanese under control would have been easier. anyway we will get another chance to see the Dutch play the Japanese.Looking forward to it. We (Europe) have the Dutch and the Italians in the final stages.
Another correction Italy not in the Championship round yet. Of course they have to play in Miami against DR,PR and USA. Theses stages being played at different times means you can watch more games but it does get an old mind mixed up.
^solid crowd participation right there.