World Baseball Classic Day 6: Dominican Upset, Venezuela Injured, Israel Undefeated

Colombia Rebounds Against Canada

With their 4-1 win, the Colombians knocked Canada down to 0-2 in their first-ever WBC victory. As Freddie Freeman broke out of his slump by going 2-for-4, Eric Gagne soared in his  WBC debut.

"“Having him [Gagne] there with us is a huge boost,” Nick Pivetta said (per mlb.com). “I’ve watched his career. I’ve watched him pitch. You try to get as much information off of those guys as you can in such little time.”"

After going 0-for-4 against the Dominican Republic on March 9, Freeman’s first hit of the tournament put Canada ahead 1-0 in the first. Although he was caught trying to stretch his single into a double, Donovan Solano tied the game in the third by driving in his brother, Jhonathan Solano. Later, Donovan singled in his second run of the game and gave Colombia a 2-1 lead in the fifth.

With nearly ten years separating him from his final season in the major leagues, Gagne came into the fifth inning with the bases loaded. Although he walked the first batter he faced, which brought home a run, he allowed just one hit and one run through 2.1 innings of work.

“I think he did a great job,” Ernie Whitt said. “He kept us in the ballgame and that’s all you can hope for out of your pitchers.”

Despite their now 0-2 standing, Canada is not eliminated from the tournament. In order to move on to the second round, the Canadians need to beat the United States today. If they can and Colombia loses to the Dominican Republic, Canada will edge their way into a three-way tie for the runner-up spot in Pool C.

Nelson Cruz and Starling Marte Homer after Outfield Blunder

In a game that broke the attendance record at Marlins Park, the Dominican Republic rallied for a loud 7-5 comeback over the United States. By doing so, the Dominican Republic has won their last ten World Baseball Classic games.

At first, Marcus Stroman looked to hand the Dominican Republic their first loss since the 2009 WBC. He threw 64 pitches through 4.2 scoreless innings and allowed only three hits.

Meanwhile, an outfield error made by Starling Marte and Nelson Cruz sparked a two-run rally for USA. After Adam Jones drove in Ian Kinsler on the error, Christian Yelich’s third consecutive hit of the tournament put the United States ahead 2-0.

Although it seemed as if their miscommunication would cost the Dominican Republic the game, Marte and Cruz made up for their mistake in the eighth inning.

Trailing 5-3, Cruz launched a three-run homer that gave the Dominican Republic the lead. Later in the inning, Marte also hit a home run that put the Dominican Republic ahead by the final score of 7-5.

For the United States, their final pool-game against Canada today is now increasingly important. If Colombia loses to the Dominican Republic, the United States must beat Canada in order to advance to the second round. On the flip side, if Colombia wins, the United States must beat their northern neighbor for a chance to force a tiebreaker with the Colombians.