WBC Day 2: 3/8/09, 1:45PM ET

Pool A (or the While We Were Sleeping Pool):

Game 5: Korea (1-1): 14, China (1-1): 0 (elimination game)

Both teams fighting for their tournament lives, Korea 2-hit China in a beating that invoked the mercy rule. Up 2-0 after the 1^st inning, Korea never let go and continued to pile on runs for 6 more innings, amassing 14 runs (12 earned) on 10 hits and 7BB.

Lines of the game:

Korea SP Suk-Min Yoon: 6.0IP (54 pitches), 0R, 2H, 4K

Korea 3B Bum Ho Lee: 1-1, 2R, 4RBI, BB, HR

Korea CF Jong Lee: 1-2, R, 2RBI, 2BB

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Pool B:

South Africa (0-0) meets up against Cuba (0-0) in a battle of players we don't recognize. The obvious favorite in this game is the Cubans, but as the Netherlands showed us all yesterday, no team should be counted out in this tournament.

Later that evening, Australia (0-0) will square off with Vinny Castilla's Team Mexico (0-0), and again, while the Mexican team is the clear favorite, the underdogs are showing remarkable potential in these tournaments, and will capitalize on any opportunity they're given.

***UPDATES***

In another shocking upset, Australia has ransacked Mexico and much to manager Vinny Castilla's chagrin, the game ended on a mercy ruling. After rallying back from a 7-4 deficit in the 5^th to even the tallies, Australia proceeded to outright abuse Mexico by putting up 10 runs over the final 3 innings of the game. Former Rockies Dennys Reyes and David Cortes were part of the slaughter, allowing a combined 5 runs (4 earned) in their 1.2 innings of work.

Lines of the game:

Australia RF Chris Snelling: 3-5, 3R, 3RBI, BB, K, 2HR

Australia 1B Ben Risinger: 2-4, 2R, 3RBI, BB, 2K, HR

Mexico DH Jorge Vazquez: 1:4, 2R, 4RBI, K, HR (GS)

Despite the promise that the Netherlands showed in beating Dominica and Australia mastered in their pummeling of Mexico, the Republic of South Africa was not able to continue the theme of lesser teams beating the established favorite. I'd love to say that the South African team had some heroic pitching or a batter with a good line and no surrounding support, but SA was 4-hit on their way to an 8-1 loss. Cuba dominated both sides of the plate, and will play Australia on Tuesday.

Lines of the game:

Cuba LF Frederich Cepeda: 2-3, 2R, 2RBI, BB, 2HR

Cuba RF Alfredo Despaigne, 2-3, R, 2RBI, HR

Cuba SP Norge Vera: 6IP (61P), 2H, BB, 6K

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Pool C:

USA (1-0) meets up with Venezuela (1-0) at 8PM ET tonight (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, MLB.TV) in a match of the favorites in the pool. The winner of this game will advance to the next round, and will play on Wednesday for the pool championship. Roy Oswalt will take the bump for USA, and it's been rumored that our own Chris EEanetta will be completing the battery.

***UPDATES***

U-S-A

U-S-A

U-S-A

Or perhaps I should be chanting

C-D-I

C-D-I

C-D-I

USA smashed Venezuela in a 15-6 defeat in front of a depressingly small crowd at the Rogers Centre. It looked like it was going to be a pitching duel between Oswalt and Galarraga, but neither starter was entirely on their game. The real question in my mind is why Luis Soho decided to pitch Felix Hernandez for 4 innings of relief against ITALY rather than saving him to follow Galarraga against the much more challenging opponent.

That said, it was a good victory, but nowhere near as sweet as it was against Canada. Beating up on Victor Zambrano and AA relievers felt almost dirty. I'll take the win and the advancement to the next pool.

Chris Iannetta and Adam Dunn were my continued heroes, and Kevin Youkilis, while not quite as effective as yesterday, pumped another HR and scored 4 runs. It's hard to find someone NOT to pat on the back after this game, but I'll touch on that more in the Game Notes.

Lines of the game:

USA RF Adam Dunn: 2-3, 3R, RBI, BB, K

USA C Chris Domenic/DOOM/Dreamy/Destructobeam Iannetta: 2-3, R, 4RBI, 2BB

Notes from the game:

1. For some reason, the Venezuelan fans booed their Minister of Sports, Victoria Mata, who threw out the first pitch. Why, I'm really not sure. My capable assistant/fiancée is looking into this.
2. Why on earth is Dustin Pedroia bunting? I mean, he had another poor game at the plate, so in retrospect, it kind of made sense, but you have JRoll on. Let him steal 3B and don't mess with the sac bunt. It cost us an out in -what looked like at the time- a big game and potentially a game where offense will be at a premium.
3. Chipper Jones needs to get his game together. It's as if he isn't even trying. He is 0-for-8 so far with 5 strikeouts. I'm very unimpressed, and I am of the opinion that he should sit out on Wednesday against whoever we play, Wright start at 3B, DH Dunn, and put Victorino in RF.
4. I'm a fan of having Mark DeRosa on this team. He provides marvelous defensive flexibility, and if Pedroia can't find a hit on Wednesday, a quick switch may be in order.
5. Dustin Pedroia had a foul ball drift towards the US dugout, and Venezuela C Max Ramirez took chase, but the ball hit the guide wires for the netting and rolled into the crowd. The Rogers Centre is not helping the defensive effort.
6. I hope Davy Johnson finds a good groove for the closing staff. I am partial to Scot Shields/JP Howell, Jonathan Broxton, JJ Putz. But that's just me.

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Pool D:

Panama (0-1) will play the Dominican Republic (0-1) at 4:30PM ET today (ESPN, ESPN Deportes) in an elimination matchup. Dominica was stung by a series of misplays in the 1^st and couldn't rally back strongly enough against the Netherlands pitching, while Panama was taken apart by the Puerto Rican squad. Both teams will be fighting to play on, as the loser of this match will find themselves heading home (or back to Spring Training as the case may be). I'd wager that Jimenez and Corpas will make appearances in the game.

***UPDATES***

Despite a staff of solid players and a good matchup, Dominica simply outclassed the Panamanian squad in a 9-0 beating. Led by outstanding pitching and a good flow of offense, Dominica lives to fight another day. Panama's defense did not help the cause either, committing 2 errors in defense of SP Ramiro Mendoza (4.0IP, 5R, 2ER). Our boy Ubaldo Jimenez didn't pitch for Dominica, but Manny Corpas pitched 2 innings, allowing 2 runs (including a solo homer), struck out 2, and walked one.

Lines of the game:

Dominica SP Johnny Cueto: 4.2IP (71P), 3H, 5K, BB, 0R

Dominica C Miguel Olivo: 2-3, 2R, 5RBI, 2HR

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That's all I have to report tonight, RowBots! From Toronto, this is RMN, signing off!