WBC Notes: Polanco’s Homer Helps Dominican Republic to 3-0 Win

Team USA is off to quite the start in the second round of the World Baseball Classic.

Rougned Odor homered for Venezuela, but he also committed two errors at third base, a new position, including one that helped Team USA finally get on the board in the seventh.

“It’s not good to be back (at Dodger’s camp), but it’s good to be the hell out of that tournament.”

Gonzalez said Mexico’s general manager contacted the WBC representatives in Mexico to ask what the team must do mathematically to advance in the event and the representatives never responded.

This is the Caribbean bracket of the, the one that should have been played in Miami.

The ideal scenario can occur to allow the Dominican Republic and the United States to advance to the semi-finals of the World Baseball Classics. The Puerto Ricans are as hot as their food is spicy while the Americans are looking to build off of their late game heroics over the Venezuelans.

Things were different this week. Venezuela will have to play without catcher Salvador Perez, who re-joined the Royals after injuring his knee. The veteran injured his hamstring during Wednesday’s loss and is day-to-day.

The Dominican Republic lost in the Pool F opening game to Puerto Rico, and it was a hard-fought battle. I guess it comes with being an Orioles third baseman.

Despite its status as the “American Pastime”, the United States has not had much success in the WBC, its best finish being a fourth place posting in the tournament’s second edition in 2009.

Venezuela beats Puerto Rico on Saturday afternoon. On that night, Team USA gets a shot at the hottest team in WBC, Puerto Rico. We’ll see if they can hang on for the win or not, but in a low-scoring game like this, every out is crucial. “He just said Miggy’s back tightened up on him”.

In the fifth inning at Petco Park, Polanco golfed a low fastball from Venezuela’s Jhoulys Chacin over the right-field wall, breaking a scoreless tie in what became a 3-0 victory.

For the first five innings we had a pitcher’s duel.

Hernandez scattered three singles, struck out three and walked none.

And as can happen in a short stretch of any baseball season, a few of Venezuela’s biggest bats have had trouble getting on track.

Cabrera appeared to sustain some kind of soreness during the first swing of the sixth inning at-bat.

To make matters worse, during the game both Major League Baseball and other verified Twitter accounts reported that if Mexico won by two runs they would be in the tiebreaking game.

“I talked to Cabrera (about the injury) and didn’t like his response, so I took him out”.

United States outfielder Christian Yelich (7) congratulates infielder Eric Hosmer (35) after hitting a two-run home run against the Venezuela.

The message hit home Thursday night. The Netherlands squad simply had Cuba’s number, with the game ending early due to the mercy rule. Kinsler again singled with one out, and Odor’s throwing error on what could have been another Jones double play ball put two U.S. runners on base. Smyly airmailed a throw to first base on Robinson Chirinos’ bunt single, which led to a sacrifice fly from Ender Inciarte. “And today I was going to use everybody”. “Sometimes some other players are not going to have a shot”.