Baseball Recap Netherlands vs. Cuba March 9, 2006

Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2006 by Marco Stoovelaar

Dutch team eliminated after loss
Nederlands
SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico) - The Dutch Baseball Team was beaten 11-2 by Cuba on Thursday-evening, meaning they are eliminated for Round Two of the World Baseball Classic. With the win, Cuba advances to the next round, together with Puerto Rico. Panama also is eliminated in this Pool, which closes on Friday with the meeting between Puerto Rico and Cuba, which are both unbeaten. The Dutch team will close against Panama.
Cuba had two big 4-run innings that proved to be the difference in the game, as they scored the other three runs in only two of the remaining seven innings (two in the first and one in the ninth). The Dutch team came back to 6-2 in the sixth inning, but in the end were handed a big loss.

Dutch Manager Robert Eenhoorn changed his starting line-up on some places after yesterday's opener vs. Puerto Rico.
Yurendell DeCaster, the no. 2 batter vs. Puerto Rico, moved into seventh place, which was Dirk van 't Klooster's spot, but he didn't start. The move meant that Ivanon Coffie, Andruw Jones and Randall Simon all moved up a spot. Sidney de Jong, last night catcher and today the DH, moved into the no. 5 slot after batting 8th yesterday. That spot was now filled by Chairon Isenia, who was today's catcher. Batting in sixth place was Harvey Monte, today's rightfielder. Yesterday, Sharnol Adriana (then DH) batted sixth. The only batters who didn't change place were lead-off hitter Eugene Kingsale and no. 9 hitter Raily Legito.

Cuba immediately took the lead in the first inning by scoring twice off Dutch starter Diegomar Markwell. With one out, Michel Enriquez singled and moved on a wild pitch. He then scored on a ground-rule double by Yulieski Gourriel. Next, another ground-rule double followed, which jumped from the artificial turf over the outfield-wall, this time hit by Ariel Borrero on which Gourriel scored. The inning then ended with two groundouts.
Cuba treatened again in the second inning, as the first two batters reached base (walk, single), but two flytouts and a groundout followed.

Cuba broke open the game with a 4-run rally in the fourth inning. With one out, Osmani Urrutia, who won batting title in the Cuban league five times in a row (including four with an above .400 average), singled, then score when Yoandy Garlobo homered. Calvin Maduro came in to relief Diegomar Markwell, but was greeted by a basehit from Carlos Tabares. After a groundout which moved Tabares, Michel Enriquez singled to score Tabares and moved himself to second base on an error by catcher Chairon Isenia. Maduro then walked next batter Yulieski Gourriel and gave up an RBI-single to Ariel Borrero that lifted the score to 6-0. Gourriel tried to advance to third base on Borrero's single, but was thrown out at third on a throw by leftfielder Eugene Kingsale, relayed by thrid baseman Ivanon Coffie to short stop Raily Legito.

Cuban starting pitcher Ormari Romero in the meantime dominated. He walked lead-off hitter Eugene Kingsale in the first inning, but he was eliminated in a double play. From that moment on, Romero retired 12 batters in a row, including five on a strikeout. In the fourth, he struckout the side by fanning Eugene Kingsale, Ivanon Coffie and Andruw Jones.
In the home fifth, Randall Simon grounded out, bringing Sidney de Jong to bat. And it was De Jong, the only player in today's line-up (including the pitchers up to this moment) without any professional experience, who broke up Romero's No-Hitter. With a line drive single into leftfield, he registered the first Dutch basehit of the game. Harvey Monte followed with the second Dutch basehit, resulting in a pitching change. Adiel Palma took over and faced Yurendell DeCaster, who ended the inning when he lined into a double play back to Palma, who doubled up De Jong on second base.

After the Dutch defense its second double play of the game in the sixth inning, it also came on the board in the same at bat. In the home sixth, Raily Legito walked with one out, then Eugene Kingsale singled. After the two advanced on a grounder by Ivanon Coffie, Andruw Jones walked to load the bases. Norberto Gonzalez came in to relief Palma, only to give up a 2-run single to Randall Simon. Gonzalez was replaced by Yadel Marti, who ended the inning when Sidney de Jong grounded out, but the Ducth had come back with two runs.

Cuba came back right away and got the two runs (and two more) back in the seventh inning. Yulieski Gourriel walked and moved on a one-out single by Frederich Cepeda, who himself advanced to second base on an error by centerfielder Andruw Jones. Gourriel then scored on a single by Ariel Pestano. Next batter was powerhitter Osmani Urrutia, who showed why he is the best Cuban batter of the last five year by hitting a 3-run homerun that lifted the score to 10-2. Calvin Maduro was relieved by Michiel van Kampen, who did his job by striking out the next two batters and ending the inning.

After a scoreless eighth, Cuba added an extra run in the ninth inning off Nick Stuifbergen, who gave up three basehits, including the fourth in the game by Yoandy Garlobo, which resulted in the run. In the inning, the defense also turned its third double play.
Garlobo, who singled in the winning run the day before in the eleventh inning vs. Panama, was 4-for-5.

After scoring its two runs in the sixth inning, the Dutch offense was silenced down again. This time by reliever Yadel Marti, who pitched the last 3 1/3 inning. In that period, he gave up only one more basehit, which came from the bat of Chairon Isenia in the seventh inning.
(March 9)

Box Score
Complete Play-by-Play Game Two Netherlands vs. Cuba

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