World Baseball Classic Day 5: Cuba, Italy win the numbers game
By Bill Felber
World Baseball Classic: United States 6, Great Britain 2
The long-awaited debut of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic unfolded with workmanlike efficiency Saturday in Phoenix. Riding certified stars Kyle Schwarber and Nolan Arenado, Team USA dispatched a game but overmatched Great Britain 6-2.
To the extent there was any drama in the Team USA opener, it developed out of the reality that the Group C hosts did not lead from the very start. Great Britain’s best-known player, Dodger outfielder Trayce Thompson, eliminated that possibility with a home run off Adam Wainwright as the game’s second batter.
Former major league pitcher Vance Worley managed to make Thompson’s homer stand up for all of two innings before the inevitable transpired. Then in the third, Arenado’s double scored Cardinal teammate Paul Goldschmidt with the tying run, and Kyle Tucker singled Arenado home to put Team USA ahead 2-1.
One inning later, Schwarber injected a dose of baseball reality into Great Britain’s hopes with a three-run bomb directed toward the swimming pool beyond Chase Field’s right-center field fence. That was more than enough for the staff of four Team USA pitchers assigned by manager Mark DeRosa to hold the lead.
Although Schwarber delivered the biggest knock, Arenado proved to be the biggest Team USA thorn against the Brits. Aside from his second-inning RBI hit, he also singled in the first and doubled Goldschmidt home with the final Team USA run in the sixth.
Wainwright, Rays reliever Jason Adam, Rockies starter Kyle Freeland and Pirates closer David Bednar combined to hold Britain to eight hits, striking out 10.