World Baseball Classic, Round two, Pool two: USA – Netherlands 9-3
NED 000 000 120 3 12 1 USA 120 311 01X 9 12 1
The Cinderella story is over. Team USA defeated the Netherlands on Sunday 9-3 and eliminated the last remaining European participant in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. It was a nice run by the Dutch team, putting Baseball from the old continent into the headlines. They don’t need to be disappointed after two impressive victories over the Dominicans in round one and can travel home proud of themselves.
Second baseman Brian Roberts of the Baltimore Orioles, who replaced the injured Dustin Pedroia on the American roster, was in the lineup for the first time, forming an unstoppable duo at the top of the batting order with shortstop Jimmy Rollins. They combined to hit five-for-seven with two walks, four runs scored and five RBI. After a sac fly by David Wright in the first, it was Rollins, who made it 3-0 with a two-run homerun. Two frames later Rollins and Roberts went back-to-back with RBI triples.
Overall Team USA scored in six of the first eight innings. Each player in the starting lineup reached base at least once, seven scored. Adam Dunn hit a towering solo homerun over the center field wall into the covered seats at the Dolphin Stadium in Miami. The Netherlands had offensively probably their best game, but it was not enough, as the Major-League-filled team overwhelmed them with their run-scoring capabilities.
Yurendell de Caster put Holland on the board in the seventh, driving in Sharlon Schoop with a RBI double. One period later Bryan Engelhardt homered to right field and Schoop brought in Danny Rombley with a sac fly. They managed twelve hits in the contest, with Eugene Kingsale, De Caster, Sidney de Jong and Engelhardt leading the pack with two apiece.
Roy Oswalt (W 1-0) started for the USA, allowing five hits in four innings, striking out five. LaTroy Hawkins, Scot Shields, Brad Ziegler, Matt Lindstrom, John Grabow and Jonathan Broxton closed it out. Rick van den Hurk (L 0-1) threw just 27 of his 55 pitches over the plate and gave up four hits, three runs (1 ER) and two walks in two innings.
Juan Sulbaran (1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB, SO), Michiel van Kampen (0.2 IP, BB), David Bergman (0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R), Diegomar Markwell (0.1 IP, BB), Leon Boyd (1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 SO), Dennis Neuman (1 IP, 2 BB) and Berry van Driel (1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB) also got in the game for the Dutch, showing their stuff against the All-Star team.