U.S. makes quick work of South Africa
U.S. makes quick work of South Africa
Team USA pulls off 17-0 rout, advances to Classic's next round
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- It took a wakeup call from Team Canada and an offensive
explosion by Mexico. But on Friday, Team USA finally helped itself.
Ripping off four runs against South Africa before fans settled in their seats
at Scottsdale Stadium, the U.S. secured the final second-round berth of the
eight available in the inaugural World Baseball Classic with a 17-0,
five-inning victory that was stopped because of the tournament's mercy rule.
The U.S. had 18 hits, including a pair of three-run homers by Ken Griffey Jr.
and a two-run shot by Derrek Lee. Griffey finished the first round with six
consecutive hits in the last two games and seven RBIs on Friday. Roger Clemens
started, pitched into the fifth inning and earned the win. He threw 58
pitches, allowing one hit, while striking out six. He left after Johnathan
Phillips popped out to a rousing standing ovation from the 11,975 in
attendance.
"It was my job after the guys came out and put the numbers on the board to
throw strikes and not walk anybody," said Clemens, who was able to put off his
pending possible retirement for at least another week. "I was as on edge as
anyone, because we were backed into the corner a little bit. I don't care who
you're facing in this tournament. I was pitching 100 percent, at this time of
the year, regardless."
The U.S. will join Mexico, Japan and Korea in Pool 1, beginning Sunday at
Anaheim's Angel Stadium. Pool 2 in Puerto Rico, which includes the host
commonwealth, Cuba, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, had already been
set.
The U.S. is scheduled to open against Japan on Sunday. The Americans play
Korea on Monday, and won't face Mexico until Thursday.
The semifinals are in San Diego's PETCO Park on March 18, with the finals set
for the same site two days later.
Clemens is next slated to pitch against Mexico, Team USA manager Buck Martinez
, said, and then be ready for a possible final outing on March 20.
"Obviously we've learned in this round to watch how your situation develops,"
Martinez said. "Of course, the first two games determine what you do in Game 3
. And Roger is a probable for Game 3."
At the outset of the tournament, Martinez figured that Clemens' start against
South Africa would just be a tune-up for the later rounds. But the finale
turned into a must-win situation.
After the U.S. opened with a nifty 2-0 win over Mexico, it fell flat in an 8-6
loss to Canada. The saving grace was that the U.S. amassed a six-run fifth
inning spearheaded by Jason Varitek's grand slam.
"Those six runs were huge," Martinez said. "I didn't think anything about it
at the time."
When Mexico came back to clobber Canada, 9-1, on Thursday night, the picture
became crystal clear.
The Canadians needed to defeat Mexico to win a spot outright or at least lose
by two runs or fewer to escape a three-way tiebreaker with the U.S. and Mexico
and win one of the top two positions in the pool.
All three teams finished 2-1, but Canada lost out because of the initial
three-way tiebreaker: runs allowed divided by innings played in the games
involving only the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Mexico allowed three runs against the U.S. and Canada; the U.S. allowed eight
runs against Canada and Mexico; and Canada was pelted for a whopping 15 runs
by Mexico and the U.S.
Mexico heads into the second round as the top seed and Team USA as the second
seed from Pool B, with Korea the top seed and Japan the second seed from Pool
A.
Canada's only hope was an unlikely loss by the U.S. to South Africa (0-3).
From the get-go on Friday, it was obvious that wasn't going to happen. The
U.S. jumped all over right-handed South African starter Carl Michaels, who
allowed 10 earned runs on 10 hits before he was removed with a runner on
second and two out in the second.
The four quick first-inning runs came courtesy of a double by Alex Rodriguez
that led to the first two runs and Lee's two-run homer that just dropped over
the right-field fence, his second blast of the tournament. Griffey added his
big blows in the second and third innings as the U.S. batted around both times
and blew away the South Africans.
"Our biggest thing was we didn't know if it was going to be [Clemens'] last
game or not," Griffey said. "Today, we were like, OK, let's get out to an
early lead, put pressure on them, relax, have some fun and let him do his
thing."
Clemens did just that. He was in vintage form pitching against the likes of
Patrick Naude, Nicholas Dempsey, Phillips and Jason Cook, who had only seen
the Rocket's image on television, and may never see Clemens pitch live again.
"He's my hero," said Jared Elario, the 17-year old who pitched the fifth
inning and was the only South African hurler not to allow a run. "It was a
great experience."
Clemens could have gone the maximum 65 pitches. Going into his last batter,
Clemens had allowed the single to Dempsey to lead off the second inning and
that was it. The South Africans, who two hits and two baserunners in all,
never moved one as far as second base.
But Clemens left with seven pitches to spare.
"I knew I had three innings and [pitching coach Marcel Lachemann] kept me
informed of the pitch count," said Clemens, who threw 37 strikes. "After that
ended he asked me to get one more out for him. Obviously you have to throw a
lot of fastballs. You pound the zone in a game like this. I was down in the
zone and up when I wanted to be. All the infielders were on me the whole game
to get them out of innings, get back to the dugout. That was the game plan."
Team USA helped itself and that plan worked like a charm.
Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com.
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