(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
    Dominicans shutout Venezuela
Nederlands
 SAN DIEGO, California (USA) -
Reigning WBC-champion Dominican Republic shutout Venezuela 3-0 on Thursday-evening (March 16) to win its first game in Pool F in the Second Round of the World Baseball Classic.
The Dominicans opened this Pool on Tuesday with a 3-1 loss against Puerto Rico.
For Venezuela, this was its second loss.
The team led 2-1 in the eighth inning against the USA on Wednesday, but lost 4-2.
While Venezuela is now 0-2, the team is not eliminated yet, as a 3-way tie is still possible for second place.
In that case, a tiebreaker-game will decide the second semi-finalist.
In order to realize this scenario, the USA has to win first against Puerto Rico in Friday.
The Dominicans opened the score in the bottom of the fifth inning when Gregory Polanco (Pittsburgh Pirates) led off with a homerun off of starter Jhoulys Chacín (San Diego Padres).
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the second run was added off of new pitcher José Castillo (Single-A, San Diego Padres).
This time, Polanco led off with a single, but was eliminated when a pop-up by next batter Welington Castillo (Baltimore Orioles) ended in a force out.
Short stop Alcides Escobar (Kansas City Royals) fielded the ball and threw it to second baseman Rougned Odor (Texas Rangers) to force out Polanco.
With two outs, Castillo advanced when Manny Machado (Baltimore Orioles) walked, then scored on a single by Robinson Canó (Seattle Mariners).
In the eighth, Nelson Cruz (Seattle Mariners) led off with a homerun to lift the Dominican lead to 3-0.
Cruz is participating in his third Classic.
...Nelson Cruz hitting for the Dominicans during...
...the 2013 World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Defensively, third baseman Manny Machado made some spectacular defensive plays.
First, he fielded a bunt by Alcides Escobar barehanded and retired him at first base in the fifth.
In the next inning, he fielded a line drive down the leftfield-line by Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers) backhanded.
The throw (from foul territory) to first was somewhat off the base, but first baseman Carlos Santana (Cleveland Indians) caught it and dove back to the base in time to eliminate Cabrera.
(March 16)
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