Game 2 of round 2 is about to get underway for the Dominicans and Cubans. It’s Odalis Perez vs. Vic Odelin. Soriano is not leading off for the DR today.
Good.
Update: Pujols reaches on a hit by pitch, but that’s it for the Dominicans in the top of the first.
Update: Cuba loads the bases with two hits and a walk in the first but fails to score.
Update: Odelin puts the side down in order in the second. The Dominicans are putting in the ball in play, they’re just not finding the holes yet.
Update: Juan Encarnacion makes a great catch where the wall meets the foul line in right field. Yesterday he misplayed two balls, so that one will make up for that. Perez uses just six pitches to retire the Cubans in the second inning.
Update: Nice play by the Cuban catcher on a bunt attempt by Taveras. Pestano jumped on the ball that wasn’t too far in front of the plate and gunned out the runner at second.
Update: Palonco gets the first hit for the Domincan Republic. They have runners on first and second with one out.
Update: Nice work by Miguel Tejada. He looked bad swinging and missing at a pitch, then adjusted and took the next pitch to the wall in the right-center gap for a two run double. Nice job by Orestes Destrade in the booth. Just before the pitch, he talked about how Tejada was good at adjusting in the middle of an at bat, and to look for him to take a pitch to right.
Update: Yadier Pedroso comes in to pitch for Cuba. He’s just 19 years old.
Update: With men on 1st and 3rd with two out, Alou grounds to the third baseman who throws the ball away. Pujols comes all the way around from first to score and the Dominicans lead 4-0 in the top of the third.
Update: That’s it for the Dominicans. They’ve built a nice 4-0 lead. Now they need to make it hold up.
Update: Odalis Perez isn’t striking out batters, but the balls in play are being turned into outs. Perez threw just 30 pitches to get through three innings. At this rate, he’ll be able to go deep into the game.
Update: Another Cuban error leads to another Dominican run. The DR extends its lead to 5-0 in the top of the fourth.
Update: Cuba ends the inning with a strike ’em out/throw ’em out double play. The Cuban catcher, Pestano, certainly plays defense as well as any catcher in the majors.
Update: Security just took away a “Down with Fidel” sign. The fans were not happy about it.
Update: It turns out the Cuban expats had a backup plan. They spelled out “Down with Fidel” one letter at a time on their shirts. Now security is trying to break up the group.
Update: David Ortiz hits a monster shot, totally out of the stadium. It’s 6-0 Dominican Republic.
Update: Perez leaves after 48 pitches and 4 2/3 innings. A very solid outing, giving up three hits and striking out three. Sosa comes on and retires the last batter of the 5th. It’s still 6-0 DR.
Update: David Ortiz is coming up with the bases loaded and two out in the 6th inning. Another long fly by Papi and there’s a chance that Cuba loses on the mercy rule.
Update: Papi walks to drive in a run. It’s 7-0 DR.
Update: A force out ends the inning. The Cubans have four more at bats in a very slow moving game.
Update: Cuba gets on the board with a home run by Yulieski Gourriel, his second of the tournament. He’s batting .316 overall. He’s another player here that looks like he would be successful in the majors.
Update: Cuba’s trying to put together a rally here. They have men on 2nd and 3rd with one out in the bottom of the seventh. There was a blown call on the double as the Cuban runner overslip the bag, but the ump missed it.
Update: Sosa loads the bases with two out. Manny Acta goes to the bullpen. Duaner Sanchez comes on in relief.
Update: Sanchez gets a fly out to end the inning.
Update: The DR has the bases loaded again in the top of the 8th. However, ESPN has it wrong. A grand slam homer does not end the game. The home team gets one chance to come back.
Update: Alou flies out to end the inning. This game continues to drag on.
Update: We’re going to the bottom of the ninth. DR still leads 7-1.
Update: Robinson Tejada walks the first two Cuban batters in the bottom of the 9th. This is why this is the most boring game I’ve watched in this tournament. Lots of walks and lots of men on base. The pitchers just aren’t going after the batters, especially since the 6th inning.
Update: Encarnacion has another ball clink off his glove. Just like yesterday, he appeared to dive too early. He’s charged with an error and Cuba gets another run. It’s 7-2 DR with 1 out in the 9th.
Update: A single makes the score 7-3. Alou fell down fielding the ball, and a very slow Cuban runner, Cepeda scores. Cuba has men on first and second with 1 out, and the Dominicans are making a pitching change. There isn’t a lot of pitching depth on the Dominican team.
Update: Fernando Rodney is on to try to end the game for the Dominican Republic.
Update: Paret strikes out looking on a nasty low, outside corner pitch by Rodney. Cuba is down to its last out.
Update: Rodney walks the bases loaded. It’s Gourriel’s spot, but he was hit on the hand on a swing and is out of the game.
Update: Rodney gets the last batter swinging, and this game is mericfully over. The Dominicans and Cuba are now tied at 1-1 in this series. Both need a win tomorrow for a chance to advance.
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