United States advances in WBC
PHOENIX – Adam Jones doubled in the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth inning, Eric Hosmer hit a three-run double in the ninth and the United States beat Canada 9-4 Sunday to advance to the second round of the World Baseball Classic.
Down to their last several outs, the U.S. trailed 3-2 after seven innings before breaking loose. Team USA and Italy advanced in Group D while Canada and Mexico were eliminated.
Jones and Hosmer both had a rough week at the plate but came through with the United States on the brink of what would have been a humbling loss. Jones’ hit was his second in nine at-bats. Hosmer was 3 for 13.
Gold Glove second baseman Brandon Phillips contributed, too, making a diving stop to prevent Canada from tying it in the eighth.
Heath Bell pitched a scoreless seventh to get the victory for manager Joe Torre’s team. Jimmy Henderson took the loss.
Canada’s Michael Saunders, of the Seattle Mariners, hit a two-run homer off starter Derek Holland and was chosen the Group D MVP, going 8 for 11 in the tournament.
The United States finished group play tied with Italy at 2-1 but gets the No. 1 seed because of its 6-2 win over Italy. The U.S. meets the loser of Sunday’s Dominican Republic-Puerto Rico game Tuesday in Miami.
David Wright, whose grand slam lifted the U.S. past Italy Saturday night, doubled and walked three times. Ben Zobrist had three hits, none of which left the infield.
Canada, coming off a 10-3 win over Mexico that featured a bruising ninth-inning brawl, finished 1-2. The Canadians have not made it out of the first round for any of the three WBCs.
But they looked in great shape much of the afternoon against the United States, which was looking to avoid its worst showing ever in the tournament. The Americans made it to the second round in 2006 and the semifinals in 2009.
For the third straight game, the U.S. fell behind early.
Justin Morneau, who was 8 for 12 in the tournament for Canada, doubled to start the second, then Saunders hit Holland’s 1-0 pitch into the bullpen down the right field line to make it 2-0.
No suspension from brawl: The violent misdeeds of the Mexican and Canadian baseball teams will go unpunished.
The World Baseball Classic decided no players will be suspended in the aftermath of Saturday’s nasty brawl between the teams. Video of the fighting spread across the globe, giving the WBC a major league dose of unwanted attention.
The organizers said Sunday that while the mayhem “runs counter to the spirit of sportsmanship and respectful competition,” suspensions would not be appropriate because one team and possibly both will not advance to the second round.
Canada’s 10-3 victory eliminated Mexico from the competition.
The brawl began in the ninth inning Saturday when Canada’s Rene Tosoni was hit by a pitch from Mexico’s Arnold Leon after Canadian Chris Robinson reached on a bunt single.
Seven players were ejected, four from Mexico and three from Canada.
Left unsaid was whether the WBC would look at changing the tiebreaker rule that was behind Robinson’s decision to bunt for a base hit with his team leading 9-3 in the ninth. In the WBC’s first round, a three-way tie is decided by overall run differential.
While some players tried to hold back teammates, others tumbled to the ground in hand-to-hand combat with opposing players.
When Canada returned to the dugout, someone in the largely pro-Mexican crowd hurled a full water bottle that hit pitching coach Denis Boucher in the head. Canadian shortstop Cale Iorg grabbed the bottle and angrily threw it back in the stands. When play resumed, someone threw a ball from the crowd that almost hit Canada first base coach Larry Walker in the head.