World Baseball Classic Pool B: Australia – Mexico 1-16 (6)
MEX 004 714 16 13 0 AUS 000 100 1 6 0
After Australia crushed Mexico last Sunday, everybody hoped for a thriller in the decisive game of Pool B at the Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City. However the Mexican offense wanted payback and got it with a 16-1 victory in six innings, winning with the 15-run mercy rule. They will face Cuba in the last round one match tonight. Australia has to go home after a nonetheless nice performance, at least in the first two games.
After two scoreless opening frames, Mexico put on an offensive show over the next four innings. Starting with four in the third, they put runs on the board at will and only could be stopped by the rules in the sixth, leading by 15 runs. Karim Garcia went four-for-four with two homeruns, four runs scored and four RBI. Scott Hairston hit a two-run shot. Edgar Gonzalez drove in three. Six different players scored at least twice. Brett Roneberg accounted for the lone Australian run, a solo homerun in the fourth.
Jorge Campillo (W 1-0) of the Atlanta Braves allowed one run on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out two. Rodrigo Lopez closed it out with 1 1/3 perfect frames. David Welch (L 0-1) got the start for the Aussies, giving up four hits, four runs and base on balls in three innings. He was followed by seven pitchers, who couldn’t provide any relief, until Scott Mitchinson got the last two outs without letting a Mexican runner to score.