Team USA� 5,� Nicaragua� 0

Starter Todd Redmond pitched 7 shutout innings this afternoon to lead Team USA to victory over�Nicaragua in their first game of the second round of the Pan American Tournament.� Due to persistent rain in Puerto Rico, the location of the game was moved from Ponce to Carolina, then the time of the game was moved up to 4 pm.� The team barely had time to get dressed and stretch, and it was time to play.

Redmond started the game by getting into a jam in the top of the 1st.� He gave up a single to the lead-off hitter, then got two outs, then loaded the bases with a walk and a hit batter. But Redmond got out of the jam with a strikeout, and he sailed after that.� He gave up a single with two outs in the 2nd inning, but a base running blunder (don't round first base and then try to locate the ball)� let 1b Eric Hosmer tag the runner out to end the inning.� Two Nicaraguan coaches were ejected after arguing the play.� Redmond gave up two more singles -- one in the 4th, leaving the runner stranded, and one in the 7th, who he erased with a double play.� He struck out a total of 6 batters in his 7 innings.�

Team USA got the bats going in the bottom of the�1st.� With one out, 2B Cord Phelps (Cleveland Indians) doubled, then 3B Mike Moustakas (Royals) walked.� When the Nicaraguan pitcher made a pick-off throw to first but forgot to make sure his first baseman was there to catch the ball, Phelps raced around to score on the error.� Moustakas ended up on third base, and a sacrifice fly by DH Brad Eldred brought him across the plate, to give Team USA a 2-0 lead.�

The bats were quiet in the 2nd inning, and SS Chase d'Arnaud walked and stole second base in the 3rd, but was left stranded.� Team USA added a run in the 4th inning.� Hosmer singled, then advanced to second base on a fly out by LF Todd Frazier (Reds).� C Erik Kratz's RBI single plated Hosmer, and the Americans were up 3-0.�

The next 9 USA batters went down in order, until the bottom of the 8th.� D'Arnaud led off that inning with another walk, and moved to second base on a wild pitch.� A fly out by CF Mike Trout (Angels) pushed d'Arnaud to third base, then he scored on an RBI single by Phelps.� Eldred reached base on an error, then an RBI single by Hosmer brought Phelps in with the USA's 5th run.�

Tim Collins (Royals) pitched the 8th inning, working around a lead-off single.� Justin De Fratus (Phillies) took the 9th.� He gave up a 2-out single, then ended the game with a strikeout.�

�The win guarantees that Team USA will finish at least in the top 7 of this tournament, which gives them an automatic spot in the 2011 Pan Am tournament.

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Also playing:

Dominican Republic� 5,�� Canada� 2

The Canadians also got a change in venue (from Ponce to San Juan) and an earlier start time due to the rain.� The Dominicans got started in the bottom of the 1st inning with a run on a bunt single, a walk, and a sacrifice fly.� They picked up two more runs in the 3rd, courtesy of a triple, a single, and a double.� Canada got one run back in the top of the 4th,�on a single by Pete Orr, followed by a single that bounced off the first base umpire and a throwing error by the first baseman, allowing Orr to score.� Former Pirate farmhand Jamie Romak added another run for Canada with a solo home run in the 8th.� But the Dominican team scored one run in the 4th and another in the 8th, to easily take the win.�

Canada is now in a tight spot -- they must win their game against Panama on Saturday in order to advance to the semi-finals.

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Round Two of the Pan American tournament begins on Friday night, and Team USA leads off with a game against Nicaragua, after having had a day off on Thursday.� They continue over the weekend with afternoon games against Venezuela on Saturday and Canada on Sunday.� Then they finish round two with a game (which�might even be a preview of the championship rounds) against Cuba on Monday night.� Both Cuba and Team USA had 5-0 records in Round One.

Some stats from Round One:

Chase d'Arnaud: batting average .412 (7-for-17) with 3 doubles and a triple, and 4 RBI.

Erik Kratz:� batting average .333 (4-for-12) with two doubles and 3 RBI, including a hit-by-pitch for an RBI.

Brad Eldred: batting average .381 (8-for-21) with two doubles, a triple, and a home run, and 4 RBI.

Todd Redmond:� had made one start and earned the win in that game, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing 3 rund (2 earned) on 6 hits, one walk, and 2 hit batters, plus 4 strikeouts.

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The Arizona Fall League begins play on Tuesday, as well as the Mexican Pacific League and the Venezuelan Winter League... stay tuned!

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Team USA� 10,� Panama� 2

Team USA finished their first round play in the Pan American tournament with a victory over Panama, to give them a 5-0 record.

Playing at Roberto Clemente Stadium in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the Americans jumped out to a great start, batting around in the top of the 1st, bringing in 4 runs.� SS Chase d'Arnaud, 1B Eric Hosmer (Royals) and Todd Frazier (Reds) each contributed an RBI.� Mike Trout (Royals) led off the top of the 4th with a solo home run, bringing the score to 5-0.

Danny Duffy (Royals) made the start for Team USA.� He gave up a walk to the first batter he faced, then sailed through the rest of the first three innings.� Panama scored one run off Duffy in the bottom of the frame on two doubles.� They threatened again in the 5th, but Duffy got out of the jam without any more runs scoring.

Chase d'Arnaud got Team USA going again in the 6th with a triple, and Trout's single brought d'Arnaud across the plate.� Trout stole second base, then Pacheco was hit by a pitch.� That brought up Brad Eldred (Rockies) who pushed the score to 9-1 with his 3-run homer over the left field wall.

Bryan Henry (Diamondbacks) relieved Duffy to begin the 6th inning.� He gave up one run after a lead-off triple for Panama's second run of the game.� In the 7th, Henry got into a jam, but a timely double play ended the inning without a run scoring.

D'Arnaud and Trout combined to give Team USA one more run in the 9th.� With one out, d'Arnaud doubled, then moved to third base on a throwing error.� Trout's second RBI single of the game plated d'Arnaud with the USA's 10th run.

Team USA now moves on to Round Two, after a day off on Thursday.� Both Team USA and the Cuban team (in Group B) finished Round One with 5-0 records.� So far, three teams have been eliminated:� Colombia, Aruba, and the Netherlands Antilles.

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Also today:

Canada 10,� Netherlands Antilles� 1 --� The Canadians ran over the Netherlands' Antilles team, holding them to just 4 hits and one run.� That one run came in the 7th inning on a walk, a double, and an RBI ground out.� Scott Diamond made the start for Canada and pitched 4 innings, allowing one hit and striking out 5 batters.� Five more pitchers got in one inning each, including former Pirate farmhand Dave Davidson. Davidson pitched the top of the 9th, and gave up one hit and a walk, but did not let a run score.�� Meanwhile, the Canadian batters were having their way with the Netherland Antilles' pitchers, putting up 12 hits.� The scoring started with CF Adam Stern's 3-run homer in the 2nd inning.� In the 3rd, they added another 3 runs with an RBI double by LF Adam Loewen, and an RBI ground out by Stern.� RF Jamie Romak added another home run, plus a single, accounting for 2 more RBI.

Team Canada will have Thursday off, then begin second round play on Friday, though their opponent has yet to be determined.

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Team USA� 8,� Dominican Republic� 3

SS Chase d'Arnaud's 2-run double sparked a 5-run 3rd inning that led Team USA over the Dominican Republic in the Pan American tournament in Puerto Rico tonight.� The Dominicans scored a run in each of the first two innings, to take a 2-0 lead off American starter Chris Archer (Cubs).� Team� USA tied the score in the bottom of the 2nd inning, then burst out with 5 runs in the 3rd off Dominican starter Bartolo Colon. Mike Trout began the fun with a single, and moved to second base on a wild pick-off throw.� Cord Phelps' single scored Trout.� Phelps moved up to second base on the throw in from the outfield and advanced to third base on a fly out by Mike Moustakas (Royals).� DH Brad Eldred (Rockies) walked, then an RBI single by 1B Eric Hosmer (Royals) drove in Phelps.� Todd Frazier (Reds) worked a walk to load the bases, then C Erik Kratz picked up an RBI (Eldred) when he was hit on the hand by a pitch.� (Kratz was ok and stayed in the game.)� After another out, d'Arnaud's single up the middle scored Frazier and Hosmer, and Team USA had a 7-2 lead.� Each team scored one run in the 4th, and that was all the scoring for the rest of the game.

Brad Eldred also singled, scoring again.� Eric Hosmer had 3 hits and an RBI in the game.

Archer pitched 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and 3 walks, with 5 strikeouts.� Reliever Nick Hill (Mariners) pitched the next three innings and held the Dominicans scoreless.� Anthony Carter (White Sox) and Tim Collins (Royals) each pitched one scoreless inning to wrap things up.

Team USA wraps up their first-round play on Wednesday evening, facing Panama.

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Cuba� 4,� Canada� 2 --� RF Jamie Romak doubled twice, and one was a ground rule double that bounced over the left field wall to drive in both of Canada's runs in the 4th inning to give Team Canada the first lead of the game.� But Cuba got one run back in the bottom of the 4th.� They scored 3 more runs in the 6th with two outs, when a bases-loaded double cleared the bases to take the win. Reliever Tom Boleska pitched a scoreless bottom of the 8th inning, allowing no hits and striking out 2 batters.

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Puerto Rico� 3,� Colombia 2 --� 3B Ramon Vasquez had 2 hits (a single and a double) and SS Luis Figueroa added 3 hits including a solo home run in Puerto Rico's victory.

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