Israel Beats Netherlands 4-2, Advances to Quarterfinals

After an active day in the World Baseball Classic, the undefeated Israel steals the spotlight with their victory over the Netherlands.

The win was only consolation for South Korea, which along with Taiwan is out of the competition as fellow pool members Israel and the Netherlands advance. Yes, it was unheralded Israel that ran the table in Pool A, winning the group by downing the Netherlands after taking out South Korea and Chinese Taipei earlier in the week.

As a whole, Israel’s pitching staff held the Netherlands to only five hits and two runs, the Dutch’s lowest offensive productive thus far in the WBC.

Japan and China bring Pool B to a close tomorrow. Israel then returned Monday night to face Chinese Taipei. “A lot of them want to come and visit after the tournament or after they retire”.

Tuesday morning, Korea takes on the Netherlands at 3:30 a.m.

What’s not to love about this match up? They would take on another run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Yi-Chuan Lin to cut Israel’s lead to 6-3. Yoenis’ younger brother Yoelkis Cespedes doubled and scored Cuba’s first run. Other Astros playing in the WBC include two-time batting champion Jose Altuve (Venezuela), Nori Aoki (Japan), Kevin Chapman (Canada), Carlos Beltran and Carlos Correa (both Puerto Rico). He went 4 for 5 and drove in this game leading a few Major League Baseball teams perhaps to imagine what might have been. Central, so that game is probably over already by the time you read this. Israel will play in the first game of the second round on Saturday.

Freiman played a part in the game’s most memorable moment, though it had nothing to do with the score.

Decker, who is now in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, is hoping the team’s success in the WBC will translate into a baseball boom in Israel.

Scotty Burcham, who graduated from Palm Desert in 2011, was selected in the 25th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Colorado Rockies. The Mensch on the Bench started during Israel’s qualifying round in NY.

Don’t misunderstand: it wasn’t a clown show for Chinese Taipei by any means. The only current Major Leaguer is Seung-hwan Oh. Jonathan Schoop (Baltimore Orioles) was at the plate. It’s safe to say the Netherlands won’t have to worry about running out of short stops. Balentien has 184 homers in the last six seasons for Yakult, including a 60-homer season in 2013.

Appropriately dubbed the World Cup of baseball, the World Baseball Classic is back at Marlins Park for its first round of action from March 9 to 13. Only 19 years old, he has drawn comparisons to his brother.

Korea has made an early exit from the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC), and with the team’s poor performance, manager Kim In-sik said he has chose to blame himself for everything. And only three of those extra-base hits scored runs (the two homers and one double). Israel is now practically guaranteed a spot in the second round of the WBC.

The two starting pitchers only went an inning apiece before each team worked in a full slate of relievers.