Press Release International Baseball Federation, www.IBAF.org
RAIN CAUSES CANCELLATIONS: Rain across Italy forced three games, one from Monday and two from Tuesday, to be rescheduled for Wednesday in Italy. Yesterday’s Japan-Chinese Taipei game will be played Wednesday as will today’s Italy-Netherlands Antilles and Mexico-Canada games. The four regularly scheduled games in the Netherlands will also be played Wednesday.
AFTER SLOW START, CHINESE TAIPEI WINS THREE STRAIGHT: Chinese Taipei has suddenly won three games in a row after starting out 0-2. Wins yesterday against host Italy and today against Australia, have followed a 10-1 win @ Czech Republic to end Round One. Pitcher Yu-Ching Lin has notched two relief wins in the last three days to lead a staff that has allowed just three earned runs in their last 27 innings of work.
SMOAKIN THE HOMERS: Texas Rangers prospect Justin Smoak continued his torrid home run pace on Tuesday and now leads all players with six home runs in the World Cup. Smoak has a pair of two homer games for the USA, whose 16 homers as a team also lead the way.
WELCH SETS AUSSIE STRIKEOUT MARK, TIES GONAZLEZ FOR MOST IN A GAME: Tuesday’s Australia-Chinese Taipei pitching duel saw Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect David Welch set an Australian record with 13 strikeouts in just seven innings. The 13 k’s match Cuba’s Miguel Gonzalez, who had 13 strikeouts against Puerto Rico in round one,
CUBANS ONLY 5-0 TEAM: Led by a pitching staff with a 1.88 ERA and 58 strikeouts vs. only 12 walks, Cubans is the lone remaining undefeated team from the first two rounds. Cuban pitcher Miguel Gonzalez struck out ten consecutive batters against Puerto Rico in his first start (13 overall in 6 1/3 innings), one short of the World Cup mark of 11 set by former Major Leaguer Burt Hooton (Dodgers and Cubs) of the USA in 1971.
USA PITCHING IN CONTROL AGAIN: Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Brad Lincoln made his second start another solid one, allowing just one run against Japan on Tuesday. Lincoln joins a rotation that has seen Texas Rangers prospect Kasey Kiker San Diego Padres prospect Cory Luebeke, California Angels prospect Trevor Reckling and Atlanta Braves prospect Todd Redmond… combine to allow just two earned runs, 13 hits and 40 strikeouts in 34 innings. On Saturday Reckling, had 11 K’s against China, which tied the mark of former Dodger and Cubs pitcher Burt Hooten, who fanned 11 consecutive batters in 1970. Sunday, Luebeke joined Reckling, Ben McDonald (1988) and Hank Woodman (2003) as the only USA pitchers to reach double digits in a game. Overall Team USA set their own World Cup record with 16 strikeouts vs. China, breaking the mark of 14 set against Brazil in 2003.
AUSSIES LOSE TWO BY A RUN: Australia’s extra inning loss Tuesday was their second by a lone run, following their 10-9 loss to Mexico in Round One. In their four wins, Austraila’s margin of victory is seven, including two 13 run victories. Their 61 runs scored are the most thus far in the tournament, and their 13 home runs trail only Cuba (14) and USA (16).
ORIOLES PROSPECTS LEADING THE WAY FOR PUERTO RICO, SPAIN: The Baltimore Orioles have three players in this World Cup, but all three are making an impact for their respective countries. Daniel and Paco Figueroa are leading Spain in hitting and were key factors in Monday’s landmark win over Venezuela, while Puerto Rico’s Miguel Abreu is leading his team in hitting (.471, 6 runs scored three doubles). Paco Figeuroa leads the team with a .438 average, while Daniel is hitting at a .421 pace.
METS PROSPECTS AND VETS ALSO MAKING AN IMPACT: Besides the 10 Minnesota Twins prospects in the World Cup, the New York Mets organization is represented by 13 players, eight current and four former players…Team USA first baseman Ike Davis, the club’s 2008 first round pick, is hitting .417 while infielders Shawn Bowman and Jonathan Malo are playing for Team Canada, infielder Stefan Welch is playing for Australia and is second on the team with 3 HR and 8 RBI, right handed pitcher Montero Cruz is playing for Spain, catcher Kai Gronauer represented Germany, lefthanded pitcher Arturo Lopez plays for Mexico and infielder Ray Van Gurp is on the Netherlands roster. Puerto Rico’s roster has four former Mets players not currently signed to an MLB team, including Jose Santiago, Raul Casanova, Luis Matos, Jose Valentin and Juan Padilla. Valentin is tied for Puerto Rico’s lead in runs scored with six.
NICARAGUA’S GONZALEZ CONTINUES TORRID PACE: Nicaragua’s third baseman Jimmy Morales Gonzalez continues to lead all hitters with 5 HR 12 RBI and a .688 average through five games. The 31 year old Gonzalez played in the Pioneer and California Leagues from ’98-2000 in the Dodgers organization, for Great Falls and San Bernadino, and has played for Granada in the Nicaraguan Professional League since then. He had 20 HR and 180 RBI with a .295 average in his three seasons in the minors.
EXTRA INNING RULE IN PLAY AGAIN: The IBAF’s Extra Inning Rule, designed to control the length of games, took effect for the second time Monday in the Australia-Canada game. For extra innings, each team starts their half of the inning with runners on first and second and no out. Each subsequent inning starts the same until a winner is determined. A version of the rule, starting in the eleventh inning, was implemented during the Beijing Olympics and was used five times, with only one game going an additional inning before being decided. The World Baseball Classic adapted the rule, starting in the 14th inning, but it was never put into effect. The rule has now been used three times including Tuesday’s Australia-Chinese Taipei game, Monday’s Australia-Canada game and last Thursday’s Venezuela-USA game. The Aussies are now 1-1 in extra inning games.