Netherlands vs. Panama
In the first game of the tournament, both teams scored twice in the second inning, but from the third inning on, it appeared to become an one-sided game, as Panama added five more runs and led 7-2 halfway the fourth inning.
However, from the fifth inning on, the Panamanian offense was silenced, while the Netherlands started to come back.
After having scored once in the fourth, the Orange-squad turned the game around from the sixth inning on by scoring five runs to take an 8-7 lead.
Panama managed to come alongside in the ninth to force extra innings.
The Netherlands then completed the remarkable comeback with a walk-off single by Ray-Patrick Didder in the tenth to win what had become a thriller with a 9-8 score.
...Johan Camargo Ramos is tagged out in the...
...1st inning by catcher Hendrik Clementina...
(© Photo: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)) |
Panama immediately came close to a run in the top of the first inning off of Orange-starter Shairon Martis.
With one out, the righthander gave up a double to Johan Camargo Ramos and then hit Rubén Tejada Abrego with his next pitch.
Both are former Major Leaguers.
Camargo played in the Majors in 2017-2023 for Atlanta Braves (five seasons), Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants.
In 2017-2021, Camargo was a teammate of Curaçaon second baseman Ozzie Albies at Atlanta and in 2022, the third baseman played together with Amsterdam-born, Curaçaon short stop Didi Gregorius at Philadelphia.
And so, Camargo and Gregorius met each other again today.
35-year old short stop Tejada played in nine Major League-seasons (2010-2017, 2019) for New York Mets (seven seasons), St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles.
In 2021, Tejada played in the Minor League and in 2023, he played in an Independent League.
In the 2022-2023 wiinter season, Tejada played in the Dominican Republic and this year, he played in Mexico.
In 2012 and 2022, he participated with Panama in the Qualifying Tournaments for the World Baseball Classic.
Tejada also faced a former teammate today, as he played together with Orange-second baseman Jonathan Schoop from Curaçao at Baltimore during the 2017 season.
With Camargo and Tejada on base, a flyout accounted for the second out.
Hereafter, Luis Castillo Tuñon hit the ball into rightfield for a single.
Camargo was waved home, but a great throw from rightfielder Denzel Richardson followed and the runner was eliminated at the plate.
There, he was tagged out by catcher Hendrik Clementina, who joined the team a few days ago.
Clementina was one of three players, who were not with the Orange-team on Aruba.
The others were pitchers Kevin Kelly and Tom de Blok.
Kelly pitched in today's game in relief.
De Blok is on his way to Mexico after becoming a father for the second time.
After Panama-starter Jaime Barria Soto had retired the side in the bottom of the first inning, he was supported with two runs in the second at bat.
Shairon Martis then gave up a lead-off single to Carlos Quiroz.
On the next pitch, José Ramos Morales homered to put Panama ahead, 2-0.
That was followed by three grounders.
...José Ramos Morales is greeted after his...
...2-run homerun in the 2nd inning...
(© Photo: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)) |
Panama's 2-0 lead didn't last long, as the Netherlands came alongside in its second at bat.
Hendrik Clementina led off with a double and scored on a following single by Sharlon Schoop.
Next batter Eugene Helder grounded into a double play, but thereafter, Denzel Richardson drove the ball into centerfield for a homerun to make it a 2-2 score.
Panama came back immediately by scoring two more runs in the third inning and adding three more in the fourth at bat.
With out in the third, Rubén Tejada Abrego walked and Jhonny Santos Thill doubled.
They respectively scored on a grounder by Luis Castillo Tuñon and a double by Carlos Quiroz Castillo.
Panama took more distance in the top of the fourth.
With one out, Fernando Gonzales Gonzales doubled, then the bases got loaded when Edgard Muñoz Mendoza and Johan Camargo Ramos both singled.
With three runners on base, Kevin Kelly took over the pitching for the Netherlands.
But he began with a walk for Rubén Tejada Abrego, which led to a run.
Hereafter, a sacrifice fly by Jhonny Santos Thill and a wild pitch accounted for two more runs and increased Panama's lead to 7-2.
And so, it appeared the game would become one-sided and that Panama was en route to a comfortable win.
But then, the game turned around.
First, the Netherlands got a run back in the bottom of the fourth.
Sharlon Schoop led off with a single and scored on an one-out double by Denzel Richardson.
From the fifth inning on, the Panama-offense was silenced.
The team would produce only two more basehits and add only one more run in the remainder of the game.
Through the eighth inning, Panama was kept scoreless by four pitchers, who gave up only one basehit.
In the bottom of the fifth, Jonathan Schoop doubled for the Netherlands with one out, but stranded on third base.
...Denzel Richardson (i#25) s greeted by Juremi Profar...
...after hitting a 2-run homerun in the 2nd inning...
(© Photo: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)) |
But in the sixth, the Netherlands narrowed the deficit to 7-6 via a 3-run rally, which signaled the turn-around.
Sharlon Schoop led off with a homerun, then Eugene Helder singled, which led to a pitching change.
Alberto Guerrero Fothy took over from Jaime Barria Soto, but he was greeted with a double by Denzel Richardson, his second in the game and his third extra-basehit.
With runners on second and third base, veteran Dwayne Kemp was inserted as pinch-hitter and delivered a runscoring single.
Hereafter, Richardson scored when Ray-Patrick Didder grounded into a double play.
Kevin Kelly, who had retired the side in the fifth and sixth inning, was relieved by Franklin Van Gurp in the seventh.
With one out, he walked two batters and quickly was replaced by Ryan Huntington.
The lefthander got a pop-fly and a force play-grounder.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Netherlands came alongside.
Jonathan Schoop led off with a walk and moved into scoring position on a grounder by Juremi Profar.
Another pitching change followed, as Abdiel Mendoza Sandoval took over from Alberto Guerrero Fothy.
He saw Schoop advance to third base on a grounder by Hendrik Clementina, then score the tying run on a wild pitch.
With the score now at 7-7, Jaydenn Estanista became the new Orange-pitcher in the eighth.
With one out, he gave up a single to Fernando Gonzales Gonzales, which was the first for Panama since the fourth.
Next batter Edgard Muñoz Mendoza then sustained a leg-injury while making a swing and had to be replaced.
Pinch-hitter Joshwan Wright Pitty grounded out, which brought Gonzales to second base, where he stranded.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Netherlands scored again to take an 8-7 lead.
Eugene Helder led off with a single, then his pinch-runner Delano Selassa moved into scoring position via a grounder by Denzel Richardson and advanced to third base on a grounder by Dwayne Kemp.
With two outs, Selassa scored on a single by Ray-Patrick Didder.
...Edgard Muñoz Mendoza scores for Panama in the 4th inning...
(© Photo: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)) |
Now with a lead for the first time and three outs away from the victory, experienced pitcher Juan Carlos Sulbaran took the mound for the Netherlands in the top of the ninth.
The righthander faced veteran Rubén Tejada Abrego, who drilled Sulbaran's second pitch into deep centerfield for a lead-off homerun, which made it an 8-8 score.
This was only the second (and last) basehit by Panama since the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Alberto Baldonado Forsythe became the new pitcher for Panama.
He walked lead-off hitter Jonathan Schoop, but he was forced out on a grounder by Juremi Profar.
After having reached first base, Profar was replaced by pinch-runner Donovan Antonia, but he was left behind, as Baldonado struck out the next two batters.
And so, the game went into extra innings, which are played according to the international tie-break rule, meaning each additional inning would begin with runners on first and second base.
In the top of the tenth, Juan Carlos Sulbaran got the bases loaded, as he walked lead-off hitter José Ramos Morales.
But despite having three runners on base and no outs, Panama failed to score.
A flyout led to the first out, Sulbaran followed with a strikeout.
Hereafter, Joshwan Wright Pitty grounded to third baseman Sharlon Schoop, who made a nice play and threw the ball to first baseman Delano Selassa, who quickly came off the bag while catching the ball.
A challenge followed, but the out-call was confirmed, as the video review showed that Selassa was in touch with the base when he received the ball.
In the bottom of the tenth, Hendrik Clementina was the tie-break runner on second base and pinch-runner Dayson Croes was at first base.
He was the third pinch-runner inserted by Manager Evert-Jan 't Hoen.
Like Panama, the Netherlands also got the bases loaded, as Delano Selassa led off with a comeback infield-hit to the pitcher.
Next batters Denzel Richardson and Rushenten Tomsjansen both struckout.
The latter had replaced Dwayne Kemp in leftfield in the ninth inning.
With two outs, Ray-Patrick Didder was the next batter and he got to 0-2 count.
And so, like Panama, the Netherlands appeared to strand three runners.
But Didder delivered again after he already had batted in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.
Didder hit the next delivery by Alberto Baldonado Forsythe into right/centerfield, where the ball landed between two outfielders for a walk-off single, which gave the Netherlands a come-from-behind 9-8 win and concluding a spectacular game that lasted almost 3½ hours.
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...Left: Ray-Patrick Didder (#11) is embraced by Delano Selassa (#2) after his walk-off single in the 10th inning...
...Right: The players of the Netherlands celebrate the come-from-behind victory against Panama...
(© Both Photos: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)) |
Playing for the Netherlands in this game were:
Didi Gregorius (SS, 1-for-5, strikeout), Jonathan Schoop (2B, 1-for-3, run, double, 2 walks, strikeout), Juremi Profar (DH, 0-for-5), Donovan Antonia (PR/DH, 0-for-0), Hendrik Clementina (C, 1-for-5, 2 runs, double, strikeout), Sharlon Schoop (3B, 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, homerun, strikeout), Dayson Croes (PR, 0-for-0), Eugene Helder (1B, 2-for-4, run), Delano Selassa (PR/1B, 1-for-1, run), Denzel Richardson (RF, 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, 2 doubles, homerun, strikeout), Stijn van der Meer (LF, 0-for-2), Dwayne Kemp (PH/LF, 1-for-2, RBI), Rushenten Tomsjansen (LF, 0-for-1, strikeout), Ray-Patrick Didder (CF, 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, walk) and pitchers Shairon Martis, Kevin Kelly, Franklin Van Gurp, Ryan Huntington, Jaydenn Estanista and Juan Carlos Sulbaran.
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Netherlands Team comes from behind to win thrilling opener Premier12
ZAPOPAN/GUADALAJARA, Jalisco / TEPIC, Nayarit (Mexico) -
The Netherlands Baseball Team opened the third edition of the Premier12 on Saturday-afternoon (November 9) with a spectacular come-from-behind 9-8 victory in ten innings against Panama.
The opening-game evolved into a thriller, as the Orange-squad initially trailed 7-2 halfway the fourth inning and 7-3 halfway the sixth.
The Netherlands Kingdom Team then turned the game around from the bottom of the sixth inning on.
The game not only was the opener of the global tournament, it also was the opener of Group A, which is played in Mexico.
Most games in this Group are played in Zapopan, but games also will be played in Tepic.
Today, the Netherlands played its first of four games in Zapopan, which is part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (Metropolitana de Guadalajara) in the State of Jalisco, which is one of the 31 states of Mexico.
Guadalajara is the capital of Jalisco, which is located in the western part of the country.
Zapopan is the largest city of Jalisco with a population of almost 1,5 million inhabitants and is the seventh largest in Mexico behind (capital) Ciudad Mexico, Tijuana, León, Puebla, Ecatepec and Juárez.
Guadalajara is eighth with almost 1,4 million inhabitants.
In Zapopan, the games will be played in Estadio Panamericano de Béisbol, which is the home of professional club Charros de Jalisco, which plays in both the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico (LMP) and Liga Mexicana de Béisbol (LMB).
In 1992, famous Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela played for Charros de Jalisco.
Before returning to Mexico, Valenzuela had played 11 seasons in the Major League for Los Angeles Dodgers (1980-1990) and one for California Angels (1991).
In 1993, the lefthander returned to the USA and played in five more Major League-seasons for Baltimore Orioles (1993), Philadelphia Phillies (1994), San Diego Padres (1995-1997) and St. Louis Cardinals (1997).
The legendary pitcher passed away on October 22 at age 63.
The Estadio Panamericano was built for the Pan American Games in 2011.
Back then, the stadium hosted the athletics competitions.
After the Games, it was used for concerts and baseball.
Since September 2014, the stadium is owned by Charros de Jalisco.
In 2021-2023, Mariachis de Guadalajara, another team from the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol (LMB), played its home-games in the stadium.
However, this club encountered financial problems during the 2023 season and afterwards, it was bought by Charros de Jalisco.
With that, the club took the place of Mariachis in the LMB in 2024 and returned to that league in which it last played in 1995.
Estadio Panamericano de Béisbol also was the site for Pool D of the first round of the World Baseball Classic in 2017 and for the Serie del Caribe in 2018.
Umpires: HP-Kelvin Bultron (Puerto Rico), 1B-Shane Cannon (USA),
Game 1 - Premier12 2024.