Monthly Archives: September, 2009

Sept 24th

LF Josh Kroeger's 3 hit and DH Terry Tiffee's homer led Team USA's offense to a win over Cuba. �The USA's first run was unearned. �In the bottom of the 1st, SS Trevor Plouffe (Twins) reached base on a fielding error and scored on RF Ike Davis' (Mets) RBI double. �Team USA scored 3 runs in the 3rd, all coming after two outs. �Terry Tiffee (Phillies) smacked a 2-run homer, then 3B Pedro Alvarez walked, and he scored on singles by Josh Kroeger (White Sox) and C Jason Castro (Astros). �Kroeger gave Team USA an insurance run in the 8th, when he led off with a single, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Castro, and scored on CF Buck Coats' (Blue Jays) RBI single. �

USA starter Trevor Reckling (Angels) needed 9 pitches in a perfect 1st inning, but strained a left lateral muscle as he was warming up to begin the 2nd inning, and had to be removed from the game. �Lucas Harrell (White Sox) took over for Reckling, and he allowed only a walk and a single over the next 4 innings. �BJ Rosenberg (Phillies) retired the Cubans in order in the 6th, but gave up a home run to lead off the 7th. �The homer was followed by a single, a double, and a walk, for another run, and Rosenberg was relieved by Cedrick Bowers (Phillies). �Bowers got the first batter he faced to bounce into a double play, but another run scored on a play. �Those were all the runs Cuba would score, though, and Team USA won their 12th straight tournament game. �Lucas Harrell earned the win, and Ehren Wassermann (White Sox) earned his first save in the tournament with 2.1 scoreless innings of work. �Pedro Alvarez went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Sept 25th

A 6-run 6th inning boosted Team USA to a win over the Netherlands. �Team USA recorded a total of 13 hits, while holding the Dutch batters to just 5. �1B Ike Davis gave the USA a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the 2nd inning. �The USA batters had at least one runner on base in each of the next 4 innings, but didn't score again until the 6th. �RF Josh Kroeger opened the inning with a double. �After two quick outs, 3B Pedro Alvarez walked and 2B Tug Hulett (Royals) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. �CF Buck Coats brought in Kroeger and Alvarez with a 2-RBI single, and after SS Daniel Descalso (Cardinals) walked, DH Justin Smoak (Rangers) knocked another 2_RBI single, to bring in Coats and Hulett. �The throw in from left field went wide, allowing Descalso to score too. �LF Jon Weber's (Rays) RBI single plated Smoak, and the USA had a 7-0 advantage. �They added one more in the 8th, when Tug Hulett tripled and scored on Coats' sacrifice fly. �

Kasey Kiker (Rangers) made the start and took the win for Team USA. �He pitched 6 scoreless innings, allowing 2 walks and only one hit -- a single by former Pirate farmhand 3B Yurendell de Caster -- with 6 strikeouts. �Geno Espineli (Giants) pitche the 7th inning and gave up the 2 Netherlands' runs on 3 hits: �a single, a double, and an RBI single by de Caster. �Former Indy Indian (2002 - 04) Jason Childers (Rays) allowed one hit in his scoreless 8th inning, and Nate Field (Marlins) retired the side in order in the 9th. �

Pedro Alvarez had a single and a double in the game. �Former Pirate 1B Randall Simon went 0-for-4 for the Netherlands.

The win gave Team USA a perfect record in Round 3 of the tournament, and advanced them to the Gold Medal Game, which they won. �

Other games on Sept 24th

3B Yurendell de Caster singled and doubled for the Netherlands and 1B Randall Simon singled. �Pirates' farmhand Dustin Molleken pitched 2 scoreless innings in relief, allowing only one hit.

Former Indy Indian LF Chris Snelling had a double and walked with 2 RBI for Australia. � Another former Pirate farmhand Paul Mildren pitched 2 scoreless innings allowing a walk and 2 hits. �

Other games on Sept 25th

RJ Rodriguez earned his 4th save in the tournament, with a scoreless 9th inning, allowing only one walk. �Former Indy Indian LF Chris Snelling went 0-for-4 for the Australians.

In the semi-final round on Sept 26th:

The Netherlands out-hit Australia 8-6, but the Aussies came out on top. �1B Yurendell de Caster went 0-for-4, and DH Randall Simon was hitless in one plate appearance for the Netherlands. �LF Chris Snelling went 0-for-3 for Australia.

Two Pirates' pitchers appeared in this game. �Dustin Molleken pitched 2 scoreless innings for Canada. �RJ Rodriguez pitched 1.1 innings, and allowed 3 runs on 2 hits, including a 2-run homer, and 2 walks. �

Final Standings:

Gold Medal: �USA

Silver Medal: �Cuba

Bronze Medal: �Canada

4th: Puerto Rico:

5th: Australia

6th: Netherlands

7th: Venezuela

8th: Taipei

Pirates' Brad Lincoln picked up another win in tournament play as Team USA broke a 4-4 tie with a big 7th inning and won the championship game in the 2009 Baseball World Cup Tournament. �Team USA lost the first game they played in the tournament, and then went on to win their next 14 straight games.

It was C Lucas May who got things going for the USA in the championship game. �With one out in the 2nd inning, DH Terry Tiffee (Phillies) singled into left center field, and RF Josh Kroeger (White Sox) reached base on a fielding error by the Cuban second baseman. �That brought up May, who blasted the first pitch he saw over the center field fence to give the USA a 3-0 lead. �

USA starter Cory Luebke (Padres) gave up two singles to Cuba in the first inning, but did not let them score. �He retired the next 7 batters in order, and had 5 strikeouts over those first 3 innings. �He got into trouble in the 4th inning, though, as Cuba opened the frame with 3 straight singles to load the bases. �A sacrifice fly brought in one run, and another single plated a second run, and Cuba had cut the lead to 3-2. �

2B Tug Hulett (Royals) got one of the runs back for Team USA with a solo home run in the 5th inning. �Luebke came back out to the mound in the bottom of the 5th, but after striking out the first batter of the inning, he was replaced by Brad Lincoln. �Lincoln quickly finished that inning, but then gave up a 2-run homer in the 6th, to tie the game at 4-4. �

The tie did not last long. �Team USA sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the 7th, scoring 6 runs, and it all happened after 2 outs had been recorded on ground outs by Lucas May and Pirates' Pedro Alvarez. �Tug Hulett walked, and CF Buck Coats (Blue Jays) doubled, moving Hulett to third base. �SS Trevor Plouffe (Twins) should have been the third out of the inning, but an error by the Cuban first baseman put Plouffe on base and allowed Hulett to score (1 run). �Then 5 consecutive RBI singles brought in the next 5 runs: �1B Justin Smoak's (Rangers) single scored Coats; Jon Weber's (Rays) single scored Plouffe; Tiffee's single scored Smoak; Josh Kroeger's single scored Weber; and Lucas May's single scored Tiffee. �The inning ended when Pedro Alvarez fouled out to the third baseman, but the USA had a 10-4 lead. �

Brad Lincoln retired the side in order in the 7th inning and gave up a solo home run in the 8th. In the 9th, Lincoln got two outs and allowed two singles and a walk, loading the bases. �He was relieved by Nate Field (Marlins), who ended the game and the tournament with a fly out. �

Pedro Alvarez went 0-for-4 at the plate, with 2 strikeouts in this final game. �Overall, Alvarez hit .259 (14-for-54) in the tournament, and played in all 15 of Team USA's games. �He had 2 doubles, 5 home runs, and 12 RBI, wit 7 walks. �He also led the team in strikeouts with 19. �He made 3 errors in the field. �

Brad Lincoln finished the tournament with a 2.70 ERA over 23.1 innings of work. �He gave up 23 hits and 6 walks, and allowed 7 runs (all earned). �Lincoln struck out 12 batters and opponents hit .261 against him. �

Justin Smoak was named the MVP of the tournament. �He hit a total of 9 home run and gave Team USA 22 RBI, appearing in 14 of the team's 15 games. �His slugging percentage in the tournament was .818. �Smoak, Terry Tiffee, and Jon Weber were all named to the All-Tournament Team. �Todd Redmond (Braves) was honored for best winning percentage. �