(Story Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & Marco Stoovelaar)
   Kingdom Team suffers exhibition loss vs. USA
Nederlands
 TAIPEI (Taiwan) -
The team of the Kingdom of the Netherlands suffered a 3-2 loss today (Friday, November 6) against the USA in its second exhibition game in Taiwan to prepare for the Premier12.
On Wednesday, the squad won 7-0 against the team of the University of New Taipei City.
Last month, the squad won two earlier exhibition games during a training camp on Curaçao to prepare for the upcoming Premier12.
At Tianmu Stadium, on a hot and humid day, the Orange took a quick 2-0 lead, scoring in the first and third inning, but then was held scoreless in the remainder of the game.
The Americans then turned the game around in their favor, winning it in the ninth inning.
Managing today's game were two former New York Yankees.
The Manager for the USA is Willie Randolph, who was the 5-time All Star second baseman for the Yankees in 1976-1988 (1694 games).
And of course, managing the Netherlands Team is Hensley Meulens, who made his Major League-debut in 1989 with the Yankees, where he also played in 1990-1993.
Andruw Jones joined the team again on Thursday.
He didn't travel with the team to Taiwan last week.
Instead, he traveled back home to Curaçao to be with his family after his father passed away unexpectedly.
On Saturday, the Kingdom-squad closes its preparations against the Dominican Republic.
The team then opens the Premier12 on Monday against host Taiwan.
(November 6)
...Today's game was played in Tianmu Stadium...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
The Orange Team opened the score in the first inning off of former Major League-pitcher Adam Laffey.
Chris Garia, who played in his first official international game for the Netherlands-squad, led off with an infield-hit.
He advanced on a single by Curt Smith.
After Andruw Jones struckout, Garia went on to score the first run on a double by Wladimir Balentien.
In the bottom half of the inning, there was a scare as Garia, who played centerfield, collided with rightfielder Kalian Sams going after a fly ball.
The ball was caught, but Garia was replaced out of caution, while Sams was able to continue the game.
In the second inning, Shawn Zarraga led off with a single, but then Sharlon Schoop grounded into a double play.
Hereafter, Carlton Daal doubled, but stranded.
The Netherlands then doubled its lead in the third inning.
With one out, Andruw Jones singled and then was awarded second base on a balk by the umpiring crew, which was led by a female Home Plate Umpire.
Moments later, Jones advanced on a wild pitch, then scored on a 2-out single by Yurendell de Caster to give the Orange a 2-0 lead.
Jair Jurrjens started for the Netherlands Team and made his first official appearance for the squad since pitching in the World Baseball Classic 2006.
Jurrjens also started in one of the two games played on Curaçao.
Today, he gave up one basehit in his two innings, which was a double by Kyle Martin in the second after the first five batters had been retired in a row.
Jurrjens was relieved by veteran Rob Cordemans.
The righthander gave up two hits in the third inning.
First, a lead-off single to Joe Sclafani, who then advanced on a grounder and scored on a 2-out RBI-single by Adam Frazier that cut the Netherlands-lead in half, 2-1.
But he closed the inning by striking out Tyler Pastornicky, who played in the Major League for Atlanta Braves in 2012-2014 (124 games).
In the fourth inning, Cordemans retired the side.
In the fifth inning, Juan Carlos Sulbaran took over the pitching.
He got two baserunners in the fifth.
With one out, Joe Sclafani doubled, then Jacob May reached on an error with two outs, resulting in runners on first and third base with two outs.
But a flyout ended the American at bat.
In the sixth inning, Sulbaran gave up an one-out single to Dan Black (who was forced out), then a 2-out single Kyle Martin, but he stranded on first base.
...Shawn Zarraga...
...2-for-2, walk...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the seventh, with the Orange still leading 2-1, Loek van Mil became the new Dutch pitcher and he gave up the tying run.
Joe Sclafani reached on an error, then moved on a single by Matt McBride and a sacrifice bunt to third base.
He then scored the tying run on a grounder by Adam Frazier.
McBride had advanced to third base, but stranded when Van Mil closed by striking out Elliot Soto.
After the third inning, the Netherlands got three baserunners in the next four innings.
In the fourth, Shawn Zarraga led off with a walk, but stranded, as new pitcher JB Wendelken struckout the next three batters.
After the side was retired in the fifth, Zarraga singled with two outs in the sixth, but was left again.
In the seventh, Curt Smith singled with two outs, but also was left behind.
The Netherlands then got an opportunity to re-take the lead in the top of the eighth inning.
The team got the bases loaded with one out when Yurendell de Caster singled, Kalian Sams walked and Dashenko Ricardo singled.
But the inning ended when Sharlon Schoop grounded into a 1-2-3 double play.
In the ninth, Carlton Daal singled and stole second base.
Two strikeouts followed, then Hainley Statia walked, but a flyout ended the at bat.
Orlando Yntema had taken over the pitching in the eighth.
He then retired the side, but ran into problems in the ninth.
The righthander got the bases loaded with no outs.
Dan Rohlfing led off with a double, then an error on a sacrice bunt by Joe Scalfani and a walk for Matt McBride loaded the bases.
A force out at the plate followed, but then the winning run was scored on a sacrifice fly by Adam Frazier, ending the game.
With that, Frazier had batted in all three American runs.
The starting players, their replacements, positions and hitting in this game were:
1 - Chris Garia (CF, 1-for-1), replaced by Randolph Oduber (CF, 0-for-4);
2 - Curt Smith (LF, 2-for-5);
3 - Andruw Jones (1B, 1-for-4), replaced by Hainley Statia (2B, 0-for-0);
4 - Wladimir Balentien (DH, 1-for-5);
5 - Yurendell de Caster (3B, 1B, 2-for-4);
6 - Kalian Sams (RF, 0-for-3);
7 - Shawn Zarraga (C, 2-for-2) replaced by Dashenko Ricardo (C, 1-for-1);
8 - Sharlon Schoop (2B, 3B, 0-for-5);
9 - Carlon Daal (SS, 2-for-4);
Pitchers - Jair Jurrjens, Rob Cordemans, Juan Carlos Sulbaran, Loek van Mil, Orlando Yntema.
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