By Lewis Rubman

MEXICALI, BC, MEXICO–The wheels fell off Nicaragua’s wobbly wagon in the bottom of the fourth inning of tonight’s contest (if that’s the word for what happened tonight) between two teams who took the field boasting of 1-0 records in the Mexicali segment of the qualifying round for next year’s World Baseball Classic.

The Nicas were trailing the Mexicans, 4-0 by the end of the second inning, having allowed two runs in each of the first two frames.  Mexico added five more in the fourth when Alex Mejia reached first on an errant throw by shortstop  Elmer Reyes. Juan Perez followed with a single to right that sent Mejia to third.  Kevin Gadea, who had replaced Nicaragua’s starter, Carlos Teller, in the second, proceded to hit Jose Aguilar with a pitch.  This brought about Gadea’s departure and the entrance of Osman Gutiérrez, who struck out Esteban Quiroz, but not before both runners had advanced because of a passed ball by Janior Montes.  Facing proven slugger Edgar Martinez with runners on second and third, Gutiérrez prudently gave him an intentional pass, a tactic that failed when Gutiérrez hit Jose Amador with a pitch, driving in Perez and leaving the bases loaded.   Sebastian Elizalde’s ground out brought in another run, and two more scored when right fielder Jairo Beras’s error on Agustin Murillo’s fly ball allowed the two remaining runners to cross the plate and Murillo to reach second. He wasn’t there for long; Gutiérrez threw a wild pitch to Xorge Carrillo, and Murillo wound up on third.  Carrillo eventually ground out, but not before the game was out of Nicaragua’s reach at 9-0.

The sixth inning turned out even worse for the Nicaraguan nine.  Walter Ibarra pinch hit for Quiroz and doubled to right.  Gonzalez advanced him to third with a ground out to first, followed by Amador’s fly ball for the second out.  After Leo Heras walked, Murillo’s double brought Ibarra home and sent Heras to third. He might have died there, but Johnathan Loasiga came in to relieve Gutiérrez and had the bad luck to strike out Humberto Sosa on a pitch that got away from  Montes, his second passed ball of the night.  The score was now 11-0, and Mexico needed only to maintain that lead through the seventh inning to achieve its mercy rule victory.

It did, and so today’s baseball in Mexicali provided a symetrical contrast to yesterday’s.  Both of Thursday’s games were close and well-played.  Both of today’s were blow outs and examples of what you don’t want your kids to learn in Little League.  Nicaragua committed three errors.  Its pitchers threw two wild pitches and hit three batters, and its catcher allowed two passed balls.  The winning pitcher for Mexico, starter Stephen Landázuri, hit three of the  fifteen batters he faced.  Carlos Teller took the loss for Nicaragua.

Tomorrow at 6:00, the Czech Republic will face Nicaragua  for the chance to play Mexico on Sunday to determine who will advance to the quarter finals.  Tomorow’s losing team will join Germany to form the pool of also-rans.