Tag: Great Britain

World Baseball Classic: Mexico edges Great Britain 2-1

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Mexico just got by Great Britain in World Classic Baseball action at Chase Field in Phoenix on Tue Mar 14, 2023 (photo from yahoo.com sports)

Great Britain. 1. 4. 1

Mexico. 2. 7. 0

Time: 3:05

Attendance: 17,705

Tue March 14, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

PHOENIX–Following Canada’s 5-0 triumph over Colombia this afternoon, the won-lost numbers in the Chase Field edition of this year’s World Baseball Classic’s first round were:

USA 2-1 Canada. 2-1 Mexico 1-1 Colombia 1-2 Great Britain 1-2

Here’s what they look like now that Mexico has defeated Great Britain, 2-1, in an unexpectedly tight game.

USA. 2-1 Canada. 2-1 Mexico. 2-1 Colombia. 1-2 Great Britain 1-3

Tomorrow’s match ups are Mexico against Canada at noon and the US against Colombia at 7:00. Since only the the top two teams on the table will advance to Miami for the quarterfinals, this series is up for grabs, and it’s likely that the rules for tie breaking will play in important part in the seeding for the next round of the WBC.

Game recap: Team Mexico sent veteran righty Taijuan Walker to the mound to face the underdog British squad. Walker, who last year went 12-5, 3.49 for the New York Mets and had been a National League all-star in 2021, currently toils for the Philadelphia Phillies. Tuesday night, he pitched well, going just about as long as the pitch count limits allowed him to go. He hurled four full frames, using up 63 of his allotment of 65.

40 of those those were considered Strikes. He didn’t allow a Brit to cross the plate. The only Brit he allowed to reach base was Harry Ford, the catcher from the Modesto Nuts who had hit an inside the park home run on the 13th. Tonight, he legged out a double to left center and walked against Walker.

Walker’s very opposite number for the British, Joseph King, also throws from the starboard side. He turned 22 last month and provides a local angle for Bay Area fans. Unlike the 30 year old Walker, King has no professional experience. Still, he pitched well enough for UC Berkeley to be a ninth round pick for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2022 draft.

’The proto-rookie’s only official performance as a pro came last Sunday, March 12th, when he faced three batters from Team Canada in the twinkling on an eye, 2/3 of an inning, walking one but notching a K and not allowing a hit. He’s expected to start his regular season pro career in the rookie level Florida Coast League.

Tonight, the youngster lasted only one frame longer than his debut. He had some problems with his control, granting a pair of free passes and unleashing a costly wild pitch. He allowed three hits and one run. That run came in the second frame on an infield single by Alexis Wilson that plated Issac Paredes, who had opened the inning with a double to right center and advanced to third on the wild pitch.

The young starter was charged with an earned run. He threw 34 pitches, 16 of which were counted as strikes. Ryan Long relieved him and closed out the episode when center fielder TrayceThompon grabbed Rowdy Arozarena’s hard hit ine drive.

Jonathán Aranda almost got a leadoff leg double two frames later, but a splendid throw by right fielder Chavez Young to shortstop Darnell Sweeney cut Aranda down at second.

Southpaw Erubiel Armenta replaced Walker to opernthe fifth, pitched to three batters, walked two of them, picked one off, and then left for righty Manuel Barreda, who faced one batter, whom he retired to end the inning. He was followed ro the mound by Manuel Barreda with two down in the top of the frame.

The soldiers of the king defeated The Curse of the lead off double in their half of the sixth. . Chavez Young laced a two bagger into the right field corner to start things against Barreda, who got Thompson to swing at miss on what looked like a pretty nasty slider for a strike out, followed by Nick Ward’s pop yup to third.

That brought up the dangerous Henry Ford, who worked a walk, during which Young swiped third and after which Barreda took a shower, and Jo JoRomero was brought in to face the switch hitting BJ Murry, Jr. He legged out a single to deep short, driving in Young and moving Ford to third.

Romero proceeded to fan D’Shawn Knowles, who had replaced Koperniak as DH in the fifth, but the damage was done. The band of brothers had tied the mighty Mexicans, 1-1.

Tahnaj Thomas took over the pitches chores for Great Britain once the mid seventh inning communal chorus had finished its two minutes performance. The Edenborough native walked Alán Trejo and retired Jarren Durán on a soft liner to third.

Then, disaster struck. Thomas let loose a wild pith that allowed Trejo to take second, whence Alexis Wilson’s solid single to left drove him home. Daniel Cooper came in from the bullpen to relieve Thomas, but Mexico was back on top, 2-1, when the frame ended with Arozamena fanning and Verdugo grounding out to first.

Jesús Cruz faced the top of the British lineup in the visitors’ eighth. Young grounded out to first. Then Thompson went down with his fourth consecutive strike out, all of them swinging. Cruz also fanned Ward to end the inning.

Joey Meneses greeted Andre Scrubb, who entered the game to hurl the eight for Great Britain, with a Texas League single to right center. He went to second on a passed ball when with one out and Paredes at bat, Ford allowed a passed ball. Meneses held his base, and the following batter, Aranda grounded out to second. It still was a one run game when Great Britain got its last chance to stay alive in the tournament.

Mexico’s brain truer entrusted the job of stopping them to Giovanny Gallejos. He struck out Ford swinging. He got BJ Murray, Jr., out on a grounder to second. Pinch http Alex Croby fouled off his first two deliveries. On Galllego’s third offering, Crosby lifted a fly ball to left, Arozamena caught it, and Mexico won 2-1, raising its record, also now 2-1.

The win went to Romero, and Thomas took the loss. Gallegos got the loss.

This series is turning out to be a lot of fun!

World Baseball Classic: Canada doesn’t even make it close clobbers Great Britain 18-8

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Great Britain pitcher Vance Worley, right, exits during the third inning of the team’s World Baseball Classic game against the United States at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sun Mar 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

Can. 18 17 0. (7 innings)

Sun March 12, 2023

Attendance::11,555

Time: 3:38

By Lewis Rubman

PHOENIX–Team Canada made its 2023 World Baseball Classic debut this afternoon by dominating Great Britain, 18-8, in a game (I won’t call it a contest) that ended after 6-1/2 innings of play. This was in accordance with the WBC’s mercy rule.

Once more, the British jumped to an early, unsuspected lead, but today they held it a bit longer than it took them to blow last night’s advantage.Once more, the reliever corps saw a lot of action. Here’s a list of the relief pitchers used by each team:

Canada: Philip Aumount, Evan Rutckuj, Curtis Taylor, John Axford, and Matt Brash; Great Britain: Camrin Opp, McKenzie Mills, Andre Scrubb, Donovan Benoit, Joseph King, and Alex Webb.

Neither team’s starting pitcher made it to the end of the first frame. Canada’s Cal Quantrill struggled mightily and unsuccessfully with his control and left after 2/3 of a frustrating inning, in which he surrendered three runs, all earned, on two hits, four walks and a strike out.

The battery of Quantrill and Bo Naylor also permitted four stolen bases before the former’s departure. Quantril threw 37 pitches, 20 of them balls, and left the game with an ERA of 40.50.

Great Britain’s starter, Akeel Morris also had an exceedingly brief tenure on the mound. His 32 pitches were evenly divided among balls and strikes. All five of the runs he allowed were earned, and they came on four hits, one of which was a leadoff home run by Edouard Julien that traveld 401 feet into the right field seats and came off Morris’ initial offering.

It would be painfully prolix to record all the scoring in this wild and wooly mismatch. There weren’t any highlights, although there were a few bright sports and noteworthy items. Here are are some of them:

  • Julien’s first pitch of the game blast. • Owen Cassie’s inside the park home run to center to lead off the home third, which put Canada up, 7-5. It was 10-7 by the end of the frame. • Since they say there’s always a local angle, Harry Ford, the Modesto Nuts’ catcher, went one for three, including a three run round tripper to left center in the fourth that enabled. Great Britain, to shrink Canada’s lead to 10-8. • Matt Brash’s three batters faced, three batters fanned top of the seventh.

Look for tighter play and a closer score in a little less than three hours, when the 1-0 USA goes against the 0-1 team from Mexico. The Dodger lefty Patrick Sandoval will be a the mound for the Mexicans, and Padres righty Nick Martínez will do the same for the USA. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 this evening.

World Baseball Classic: USA uses 4 pitchers to close out Great Britain 6-2

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United States’ Kyle Schwarber, right, celebrates with third base coach Dino Ebel after hitting a three-run home run against Great Britain during the fourth inning of the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field in Phoenix, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP News photo)

GB. 2. 6. 2

USA. 6 9. 0

Sat March 11, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

PHOENIX–After this afternoon’s upset of Mexico by Colombia, it seemed that we’d run out of unexpected events, but it seems as if the suburb to the northwest of Phoenix isn’t the only surprise in Arizona. Great Britain’s second man at bat, Tracy Thompson, took Adam Wainwright 391 feet deep into the seats in right right center to give the Brits a 1-0 lead before the Yanks could even face a pitch thrown in anger.

But one there were no shocks to our anticipation, Team USA manhabndled their guests, 6-2. The USA used four pitchers, Wainwright, who got the win, and Jason Adam, Kyle Freehand, an David Bender. GB used six, Vance Worley, the loser, followed by Jacob Esch, Ryan Long, Daniel Cooper,and Michael Peterson. The American attack was led by Nolan Arenado with three hits, two or them doubles and two RBI in five times at bat and Kyle Schwerber, who drove in three while going one for three.

The USA came close to drawing even in its half of the first by loading the bases against Worley, a right hander who pitches for the independent league team out of Kane County, IL, after a big league career that netted a record of 35-36, 4.09. The threat was put together by a single by Nola Arenado sandwiched between walks to Paul Goldshchmidt and Kyle Scnwarber. It ended with Trea Turner grounding out to second.

Two innings later, they took the lead, never to relinquish it, driving Worley from the box in the process. With one down, Goldschmidt reached first on a throwing error by second sacker Anfernese Seymour. Arenado drove him in with a two bagger into the left field corner. Turner flew out, and Turner drew a walk.

Kyle Tucker’s single to center brought Turner home with the leading tally before Jeff McNeil flew out to left to end the frame. Jacob Esch, another righty, replaced Worley after to walk to Turner. Worley’s line was 2-2/3 inning pitched; two runs allowed, both unearned; with three walks and a strike out. He threw 60 pitches, 12 for strikes.

Esche lasted 22 pitches, leaving after he’d walked Mike Trout and hit Goldschmidt with one to in the fifth. He gave way to Ryan Long. Schwarber touched him for a 428 foot homer to right center that put the hone team up, 5-1.

Jason Adam came in to pitch for the USA when Wainwright had completed four innings of work. The only run he’d allowed was Thompson’s first inning blast. He allowed a total of four hits and a walk, striking out four. He threw 49 pitches, 36 for strikes. Lefty Kyle Freehand took over mound duties to start the sixth, retired the side in order, and let in a run on a pinch hit triple to D’Shawn Knowles and a ground out to Seymour in the second. Bender wrapped things up in the ninth.

Daniel Cooper pitched the sixh for the Brits and surrendered another run. Michael Peterson came on in the eighth

On Sunday, when California goes on daylight time while most of Arizona stays on standard time, the games will start at noon and 7:00 pm in both places. Great Britain will return for the 12:00 game against Canada, and Mexico will face the USA in the nightcap. We’ll be there.

Lewis Rubman is a MLB beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

World Baseball Classic: Packing for Phoenix

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World Baseball Classic logo (mlb.com image)

Packing for Phoenix

March 9, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

For the first time since its inception in 2006, the World Baseball Classic will not stage its semi-final and final games in California. San Diego hosted the first championship round, followed by Los Angeles in 2009, San Francisco in 2013, and then it was back to Dodger Stadium in 2017.

This year the closest Bay Area fans will get to the action will be Phoenix, one of the four venues for the first round. Teams representing the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, and Great Britain will duke it out in Chase Field. This quintet has been designated as Group C. The teams with the two best won-lost records in this round will advance to the quarter finals, AKA round 2, where they’ll face the two top finishers of Groups A,B, and D.

Now, let’s take a look at those groups.

Group A, consisting of the Netherlands, Cuba, Italy, Panama and what the organizers refer to as Chinese Taipei opened the action when the Netherlands beat Cuba 4-0 in Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on what was March 7 here, but the afternoon of March 8 in Taiwan.

In what was the nightcap in Asia, visiting Panama pummelled the host team, 12-5, but outhit them by only one run, 14-13. No other scores were in for either of the Asian venues when I took a break for packing my bags for Phoenix to write this. Group A’s next round, AKA the quarter finals, will be played in Taichung, with the sole surviving squad moving on to Miami for the championship round, i.e., the semi-final and final series.

Japan, Korea, Australia, China, and the Czech Republic make up Group B. Their first game is scheduled to start in the Tokyo Dome at 4:00 pm here on a west coast Wednesday afternoon, about two hours from now, and will feature Australia and Korea. The advancing teams will remain in Tokyo for the quarter-finals and then go to Miami for the semi-final and final rounds.

Group D consists of Puerto Rico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Israel, and Nicaragua. They’ll play their games in Miami, starting with the Puerto Rico-Nicaragua match up at 9:00, Pacific time, on March 11. The team that wins this Group D first round at loanDepot Park will continue to play there as long as they remain in the running.

All of the above invites a few questions. Among them are how does a team qualify, what is the basis on which a qualifying team is assigned to one group rather than another, how are teams ranked with their pools?

There are three criteria for qualification. They are

  • The host country automatically qualifies. As with sausages, it’s best not to inquire about what goes into making the decision of which country that will be. • Any team that reached the 2017 semi-finals makes it into the first round in 2023 and will be the top seed in its group. • This point is delicate. MLB, the WBC’s parent organization, describes it this way: “… the remaining teams will be assigned based on December 31, 2021, WBSC [World Baseball Softball Confederation] rankings in order to guaranteed [sic] competitive balance. Commercial, geographic and geopolitical considerations may also be applied to this process.”

Let that last sentence sink in. When you’ve done, you can clear your mind by glancing at MLB.com’s ranking of the top ten teams. They are

1) The Dominican Republic 2) The USA 3) Japan 4) Puerto Rico 5) Mexico 6) Venezuela 7) Cuba 8) Canada 9) Italy 10) Korea.

I chose this source because I couldn’t find the final 2021 WSBC ratings and, in any case, 2022 was not a good year for lower level baseball and softball. I don’t know how accurate this MLB.com table is, but I suspect that it’s relevant that, of the four previous WBC titles, Japan has won two and the Dominican Republic and the United States have won the two remaining crowns. Cuba, the Netherlands, and Korea also have had notable success in the tournament.

In my next article, I’ll discuss, among other things, some thorny “geographic and geopolitical considerations” that could affect the inclusion and group placement of a country as well as individual players’ eligibility to play for any given team. After that, I plan to send two more dispatches before I begin reporting on the games of the Phoenix round on March 11. They will deal with other tournament rules and with the representation of players from bay area teams in the WBA.