Baseball World Cup Round 3, Firenze:
USA – Venezuela 6-3
VEN 000 001 110 3 9 2 USA 004 101 00X 6 9 2
Team USA got some payback for their lone loss in the 2009 Baseball World Cup so far, beating Venezuela on Tuesday in Firenze by a score of 6-3. Both squads already met during the first round in Regensburg, Germany, where Venezuela came back in the seventh to tie the contest and to win it 13-9 in extra innings in front of 4,200 people at the Armin Wolf Arena.
In the third round in Italy in front of just 170 people the team of Eddie Rodriguez took the lead with a four-run rally in the third, which was capped by a two-run single by Terry Tiffee. The fifth homerun by Pedro Alvarez in the tournament extended the lead to five runs in the fourth. Rene Reyes put Venezuela on the board in the sixth with a solo shot. But a RBI single by Trevor Plouffe regained the five-run advantage in the bottom of the frame.
Venezuela tried to come back, cutting the deficit to three runs with a RBI single by Reyes in the seventh and solo homerun by Luis Landaeta in the eighth. In the ninth Nate Field walked Dirimo Chavez and Lino Connell with no outs. Reyes stepped to the plate with the chance to tie the game with one swing. But he flied out. Michael Sandoval and Landaeta also couldn’t get anything out of their at-bats and Team USA won.
Brad Lincoln picked up the win, giving up six hits, two runs and three bb in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out three and threw 72 of his 103 pitches for strikes. Cedrick Bowers, Nate Field and Geno Espineli closed it out. Junior Guerra took the loss after 2 2/3 innings, two hits, four runs (1 ER) and four bb.
Team USA (4-0) will square off against Puerto Rico (2-2) on Wednesday. Venezuela (0-4) is going to battle with Canada (2-2).