Over the previous days Group B likewise ended their video games, with Australia taking the 2nd location and signing up with Japan in the next round. That implies South Korea heads home, another WBC dissatisfaction, while Australia handles Cuba in the 2nd round.
Diamondbacks Reporting
Jacob Steinmetz (Israel/Rookie leagues)
- Nicaragua @ Israel 1-3: didn’t play.
- Israel @ Puerto Rico 0-10: didn’t play.
Israel was among the last groups at the WBC to play their very first video game. They got their very first win, as might have been fairly anticipated, however that they did so off Yankee pitcher Loaisiga may have been a bit unanticipated. Nicaragua and Israel played a hard offending video game, with Nicaragua taking a 1-0 lead into the 8th inning. Then Loaisiga occurred and Israel won the video game. Steinmetz didn’t make a look.
Gunnar Groen (Great Britain/Rookie leagues)
- Great Britain @ Canada 8-18: didn’t play.
- Colombia @ Great Britain 5-7: didn’t play.
An insane very first inning where Canada’s starter Cal Quantrill had a hard time strongly for Canada and didn’t make it out of the very first inning, walking 4 and enabling 3 early go to Great Britain. Canada right away struck back. First with a very first pitch homerun and after that 2 extra on a bad play in between 1B and catcher. Canada would take a 5-3 lead after that first inning and with both pitching remains having problem with command, it ended up being rather a slugfest. Canada got the much better hand however, assisted by a shocking quantity of 16 strolls in simply 6 innings of pitching by those who believed they were representing the Brits. After more than 3 and a half hours of play the grace guideline did what it needed to do and lastly put and end to the ailing lion.
A day later on versus Colombia Great Britain stood, remarkably, and robbed Colombia from a win, which removes the goodwill the South Americans had actually developed after winning versus Mexico. This time Great Britain got almost 4 innings out of their starter, however above all kept the strolls in contact 6. Some speed on the bases and some prompt swings did the rest.
Alek Thomas (CF/Mexico)
- Mexico @ U.S.A. 11-5: 5 AB, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 SO.
It wasn’t the very best offending video game from Alek and perhaps he might have taken some more benefit of some badly situated pitches, however that isn’t why he remains in this Mexican lineup. His job is to play good defensive in the outfield, which is precisely what he did as revealed by the emphasize listed below.
Merrill Kelly (SP/U.S.A.)
- Mexico @ U.S.A. 11-5: didn’t play.
- Canada @ USA 1-12: didn’t play.
Oops! In our previous report we composed that U.S.A. weren’t actually onto the video game versus Great Britain and the exact same can be said about the match versus Mexico. How would you explain the unusual mistakes from Arenado, McNeil and Goldschmidt? However good Mexico may be, the United States was on its method to a humiliating 11-2 loss put did some window wearing the bottom 8th to ultimately lose 11-5. The margin for mistakes appears to have actually escaped however.
The message seems to have come through to the Americans though, as they destroyed 19-year old Class A pitcher Mitch Bratt in the first inning of the game against Canada, taking a 9-0 lead and cruising to a mercy rule victory in 7 innings to save some arms.
I guess we’ll see Kelly against Colombia?
Emmanuel Rivera (3B/Puerto Rico)
- Venezuela @ Puerto Rico 9-6: 4 AB, 2 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 0 SO.
Rivera was much more dominant in the game against Venezuela although a tough opponent combined with a couple of infield mistakes from Puerto Rico put the game out of reach. With the bases loaded in the 6th inning he got a single and an RBI, while he got another single in the 8th to keep the momentum going, allowing the tying run to get to the plate, that didn’t happen though.
Former Diamondback Henry Ramos also made a pinch-hit appearance but flew out against Silvino Bracho.
- Israel @ Puerto Rico 0-10: 4 AB, 2 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 0 SO.
Led by a strong pitching performance from Jose De Leon (10 strikeouts in 5.2 innings), Puerto Rico no-hit Israel, and achieved an easy win, leading 6-0 after two innings. Once again, Rivera got the bat on a no-miss slider in the 1st and was knocked in in the next at bat by a Javier Baez double. In the second inning he got a sinker that with all the movement went opposite field into the gap, allowing Rivera to reach 3rd and get an RBI.
Once again former D-Back Henry Ramos would make an unsuccessful pinch hit appearance.
Ketel Marte (2B/Dominican Republic)
- Dominican Republic @ Nicaragua 6-1: didn’t play.
Once again no appearance for Ketel Marte, nor for former Diamondbacks Joel Payamps or Jean Segura. Nicaragua couldn’t get much going against the Dominican Republic until they encountered some inferior pitching in the 7th inning in the form of…wait…former Diamondback César Valdez? Valdez pitched in 9 games for the Diamondbacks in 2010, good for a 7.65 ERA. Raise your hand if you still remember him! The Nicaraguans might after this game, as they got more than half of their hits off him, scoring a run as well.
Endrys Briceño (Venezuela/Amarillo Sod Poodles)
- Venezuela @ Puerto Rico 9-6: didn’t play.
- Nicaragua @ Venezuela 1-4: didn’t play.
It looked like Venezuela would run away with the game, leading 9-1 after 5 innings, with a dominant start from Marlins’ Pablo Lopez and a big game from Royals’ Salvador Perez, leading the team tonight with 5 RBI and going 4 for 4. Former Diamondback David Peralta also was of influence, knocking in a runner and taking two walks. Less dominant was Eduardo Escobar who went hitless in 5 at bats and left 6 runners on the bases.
Also of dominance was former Diamondback Silvino Bracho, who entered the game with two men on the bases and no outs, with Puerto Rico gearing up for a comeback after Jhoulys Chacín, another Diamondback, had allowed them to get back into the game. Bracho got 5 consecutive outs, closing the game for Venezuela to achieve yet another important game.
Bracho was also important in the game against Nicaragua, that once again kept things close with an opponent. He got the hold there in a game where Venezuela didn’t get much out of their starter Eduardo Rodriguez, former Red Sox and current Tiger, who went only two innings with lots of traffic on the bases although keeping the opponent limited to just 1 run. David Peralta was the only other former Diamondback to make an appearance, as a defensive replacement.
Will Sherriff (Australia/Rookie Leagues/Perth Heat)
- Australia @ Czech Republic 8-3: didn’t play.
No appearance for young Sherriff in what was a crucial match for Australia. Win and pass to the next round or lose and get into the tiebreaker. Australia stayed on the good side of the score, although it wasn’t until the final 3 innings that the Aussies were able to walk away. Once again a disastrous outing from the “best European talent” Michal Kovala. Still, a fine debut from the Czechs at the WBC, but Australia takes the award of most surprising team by taking the second spot in Group B.
No Diamondbacks reporting
Korea @ China … 20 hits, 10 walks and 22 runs for Korea against what by far has been the worst team at the WBC. Because Australia eventually won against the Czechs, Korea got eliminated but had the Czechs won, then the tiebreaker would have actually surely favoured the Koreans. Now, once again a disappointing WBC look for Korea despite a record setting score in simply 5 innings, grace ruling the Chinese.
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