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Team USA On The Edge With A Loss To Canada

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Canada 6,   USA  1

Two 3-run innings gave Canada the win over Team USA, and put the US on the edge of being eliminated from the World Cup/Pan Am tournament.

Starter and former Pirate farmhand Todd Redmond retired the first three batters he faced in order, but quickly got into trouble in the top of the 2nd.  A lead-off walk, a single, and a 3-run homer gave Canada a 3-0 lead.  Redmond gave up one hit (a double) over the next two innings, but loaded the bases in the 5th on a double and two walks with one out.  He got out of that jam with a foul pop out and a fielder’s choice.  Redmond exited the game in the 6th after a single and two outs.  Reliever Pete Andrelczyk (Marlins) finished that inning, then with two outs in the 7th, he loaded the bases on a double and two walks (one intentional).  Royce Ring (Red Sox) came on in relief to finish that inning.

Chuckie Fick (Cardinals) pitched a scoreless 8th for Team USA, allowing one base runner on a hit batter.  Randy Williams (Red Sox) took over for the top of the 9th.  He began the inning with a walk, then made a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt.  That put both runners into scoring position, so that both were able to cross the plate on a single up the middle.  An RBI double brought in the third run of the inning, for a total of 6 for Team Canada.

Team USA threatened in the 3rd inning when both SS Andrew Garcia (White Sox) and LF AJ Pollock (Diamondbacks) reached base and moved into scoring position on two Canadian errors. But a ground out to short ended the threat and the US remained scoreless.  DH Brett Jackson (Cubs) led off the 6th with a double into left field, but he could not advance past third base.  The only US run scored in the bottom of the 7th, when 1B Matt Clark (Padres) led off with a solo homer (his third home run of the tournament).  Jackson singled to begin the 8th, but was left stranded.  CF Jordan Danks (White Sox) walked in the 7th and Clark walked in the 9th, but neither was able to score.

C Travis d’Arnaud (Blue Jays) went 0-for-4 in the game.  Pirates’ SS Jordy Mercer did not play.

 

Team USA has one more Round 1 game to play — a make up of Saturday’s rained out game against host team Panama, which will be played on Monday.  With 3 losses already in the tournament, Team USA might be eliminated on Sunday night.  If Puerto Rico, who also has a 3-3 record, beats Chinese Taipei on Sunday, then their record will be boosted to 4-3, and Team USA will be eliminated.  Even if Team USA wins over Panama and has an identical record to Puerto Rico, then the tie breaker will be the fact that Puerto Rico beat the US on Oct 4th (8-4).  If Taipei wins, then Team USA will need to beat Panama to advance to Round 2.

 

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