Some notes about the eight remaining teams at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. The second round starts on Saturday and will be played once again in a double-elimination format.
Japan:
The Japanese World Baseball Classic team went to Arizona waiting for the second round and played their second and last exhibition match on Thursday. Against the Chicago Cubs and Carlos Zambrano they celebrated a 3-2 victory. Kosuke Fukudome hit a RBI single against his employing Major League team. Yu Darvish gave up two hits and two runs in two scoreless innings, picking up the win. With his appearance on the mound, it is much likely that Daisuke Matsuzaka will get the start against Cuba on Sunday.
Korea:
The Los Angeles Dodgers overcame a 1-2 deficit to beat Korea 4-2 in a friendly in Glendale, Arizona. Chin-Lung Hu delivered the decisive two-run single in the eighth. Shin-Soo Choo again was in the starting lineup of Korea, walking three times in five plate appearances. Jong Wook Lee had two hits.
Netherlands:
The odds that Jair Jurrjens will pitch for the Dutch team in the second round got very low on Thursday. The right-handed starting pitcher of the Atlanta Braves pitched four innings in a spring training game, making an appearance this weekend impossible. Apparently he was called on Wednesday, if he would consider joining the team in Miami and he probably would have, if there would be an injury on the Dutch pitching staff. But he started yesterday anyway and isn’t prepared to pitch again until next Tuesday. He will try to attend Saturday’s game between the Netherlands and Venezuela.
Team USA:
Manager Davey Johnson praised the Dutch team and is proud of them, still having connections to the Netherlands due to his experiences as their manager in 2003, filling in for Robert Eenhoorn. He also was the Dutch bench coach in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Johnson will miss Saturday’s opener against Puerto Rico, as he is attending the wedding of his stepson. Barry Larkin will replace him at the helm. Third Baseman Chipper Jones hopes to play on Saturday after sitting out the last game due to an oblique strain. He took batting practice and fielded grounders and seems ready to go.
Schedule World Baseball Classic:
Saturday, March 14:
Dolphin Stadium, Miami, Florida
7pm CET Venezuela – Netherlands
Sunday, 1am CET Puerto Rico – USA
Sunday, March 15:
PETCO Park, San Diego, California
3pm CET Cuba – Japan
Monday, 4am CET Korea – Mexico