3/14 WBC: Venezuela (Garcia) vs DR (Cabrera) 6pm CT ESPN2

[Andy]

Now THIS ought to be fun. Winner goes on, loser goes home (or Mesa, or Scottsdale, or St. Petersburg...)

[stitchface]

game of the tournament so far . . .I better get home.

[wekse]

go dominican republic!

[Andy]

Sweet, Venezuela is busting out their kick-ass red jerseys again tonight.

[Andy]

Wow, great pitch to ring up Endy Chavez.

[Jon]

Pujols grounds out on the first pitch with runners at 2nd and 3rd and nobody out.

 

Now they're going to give Ortiz the IBB. It's also starting to rain. A rain delay could really create havoc for the pitching.

[Andy]

The MVP of the Classic so far, Beltre, comes up with the bases juiced.

[Jon]

Cabrera probably could have gloved it and still have gotten Alou.

[Jon]

"I don't care if you're 12-years-old and really good with your thumbs"

 

Never thought I'd hear that during a baseball game.

 

These balls are just dying in the outfield.

 

Looks like this game is headed for a rain delay.

[Jon]

RBI groundout for Abreu to tie it up 1-1 in the 6th. Cabrera is up with two outs and a runner on third.

[Jon]

Definitely a pitching dominated game so far. Both runs scored on infield grounders (Alou's a slow chopper for a basehit, Abreu's a groundout to the right side). The pitchers have really been exploiting the outside corner.

 

Hopefully, unlike the previous matchup, this one gets really exciting late.

[Jon]

And the DR takes the lead on a 2-out, bases loaded passed ball.

 

Pujols was ahead 3-0 with a chance to break it open or bring Ortiz up with the bases loaded, but he grounds out to third to end the inning.

 

So in this game we've seen runs scored on a weak chopper misplayed by Cabrera, an infield groundout RBI, and a bases loaded passed ball. Not what I was expecting.

[Jon]

The home plate ump didn't like Castillo throwing the ball down to first after what he thought was a strike out. He's really in Castillo's face.

 

And yet they get the borderline call on the following pitch, which was 3-2 and nearly identical to the 2-2 pitch. That's been called most of the game, but still quite iffy.

[Andy]

Reyes on 3rd with Mo at the plate.

 

Mo lines out to first, and they almost double off Reyes.

 

Big insurance run off the board for DR.

[Jon]

HAHAHAHA. I love Z. They had a shot of him looking all buff in a black sleeveless t-shirt...then he starts picking his nose with his pinky finger for a good 2 seconds before they cut away.

 

Wow. Tejada boots the game-ender. 2 on, 2 out.

[Blueheart05]

Tejada bobbles the potential final out of the game. :D

[Blueheart05]

Now the bases are loaded on a walk...

[Jon]

Nearly a Gipson-esque ending to this one as Castillo nearly picked the runner off of first after the pitch.

 

But instead it's a 4-pitch walk. Bases loaded, two down. Now this is what I wanted to see.

[Andy]

Bases loaded, 2 outs, DR 2, Venezuela 1, 9th inning.

 

Gotta love this. Come on Venezuela!

[Andy]

Dominicans win.

 

Sorry, Z. :(

[Blueheart05]

Disgusting! In that spot he should have taken a pitch to see if he could have gotten a 3-1 count. :roll:

[Jon]

And a flyout ends it. An odd game to say the least. Venezuela with just one hit all game.

 

Z (and Blanco) are coming back to Mesa.

[WindyCity]

Henry Blanco returns to the Cubs...

 

...or did everyone forget he was gone too. :lol:

[Soul]

So Z can finally come back to Arizona now?

 

Yay!! :D

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Henry Blanco returns to the Cubs...

 

...or did everyone forget he was gone too. :lol:

 

the return of Hank White should be a holiday.