If you went to bed after the third inning last night, you didn’t miss any offense. What you missed was a great pitching duel on a cold night in Anaheim.
Rodrigo Lopez did indeed last only three innings, but chasing the stater early did not help the Korean offense. The Mexican relief corps yielded just two hits over five innings while walking one. They kept Mexico in the game until the end.
Jae Seo went deep into the game, getting the first out in the sixth before turning it over to the bullpen. He pitched as he did at the end of last season, striking out four and walking none. The Korean bullpen allowed three hits over 3 2/3 innings, but struck out five, including two by closer Chan Ho Park.
It was an exciting end of the game, as Vinny Castilla singled with one out in the top of the ninth. Pinch runner Luis Cruz went to second on a ground out, then to third on Park wild pitch. Park left Garcia stranded there as he struck out Gil swinging.
Korea joins Puerto Rico as the only undefeated teams in the tournament. Korea faces the United States today while Puerto Rico takes on Venezuela. With Cuba taking on the Dominican Republic, it should be another fun day of baseball.
Keep you eye on the television schedule. There’s a note on the schedule page that:
Game times may be reversed for television.
Baseball Musings is conducting a pledge drive in March. Click here for details.
I was at the game; the announced attendance was somewhere in the 42,000 range; it looked like a sellout. I have to tell you, that is perhaps the most enthusiastic crowd I’ve seen at a baseball game; maybe even more than when I saw the World Series. Lots of cheering Koreans, but many more wild and cheering Mexico fans. Guys in giant sombreros. Guys in Mexican wrestling masks. Guys wearing jackets from Mexican League teams. Lots of cheering throughout.
A very well-pitched game, and some very nice defense, too. In the 7th, the Mexicans turned a double play on a bunt. Their one run scored on a home run that just barely cleared the center field fence and might have even been caught by a fan in front of the wall, but I never saw a replay. Sung-yeop Lee’s home run, his 4th of the tournament, left no doubt, easily clearing the bullpen fence in right.
I was there too, in the upper deck behind homeplate, and from where I sat the noise at least came in equal levels in support of Mexico and Korea. The game was good with some very nice defense, but the crowd was great. Beyond enthusiastic but — as far as I saw — without any rancor. Can’t recommend it enough.
I wonder if any of it came through on television – I rather doubt it.
I actually started watching the game in the upper deck about halfway down the first-base line, and then in about the 6th I moved to the upper deck (section 521, Row J, to be precise) behind home plate where a friend of mine was.
The seats behind home plate were a lot calmer and more balanced between the Korean and Mexican fans. I think in my original section there were a lot of people who got their tickets after it was already determined that Mexico would be playing in the game. Back behind home plate there were more non-aligned baseball fans. But in that 9th inning, with Chan Ho on the mound, the crowd was roaring.
I was in 521 Row G. Long-haired guy with a beard and a son. That end of the game was incredible — everybody, whether cheering for Korea, Mexico or unaligned, was roaring I think.
I think you are probably right that many last minutes sales were for Mexico. Though there looked to be a substantial Korea section down the third-base line.