WBC IGT: Dominican Republic v. Venezuela, 3/7

[Guest Rotblatt]

Dominicans

1. A. Soriano, 2B
2. M. Tejada, SS
3. A. Pujols, 1B
4. Ortiz, DH
5. M. Alou, LF
6. A. Beltre, 3B
7. Encarnacion, RF
8. A. Castillo, C
9. W. Taveras, CF

SP: Bartolo Colon

Venezuelans

1. O. Vizquel, SS (Team Captain)
2. C. Guillen, 1B
3. B. Abreu, CF
4. M. Cabrera, 3B
5. R. Hernandez, C
6. M. Ordonez, RF
7. V. Martinez, DH
8. Fonzie, 2B
9. J. Rivera, LF

SP: J. Santana

Ortiz hits a wind-aided home run to dead center!
Santana strikes out Alou.
Cabrera makes a nice backhanded catch in foul ground to retire Beltre.
Santana walks Encarnacion.
Alberto Castillo with a bloop single into short right field. Encarnacion advances to third.
Slowly hit ground ball by Taveras to Fonzie at second, who throws it into center field.
Castillo on third and Taveres on second.
Soriano at the plate.

I can't find the lineups, so I'll just reconstruct them as I go forward.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Soriano strikes out to end the inning.

Bottom of the second, Venezuela due up.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Hernandez, leading off, strikes out.
Ordonez hits a long fly ball to right, caught by the Alou.

At least Venezuela's making Colon work--two full counts in a row.

[Guest Rotblatt]

3-2 on Martinez. Fonzie on deck. V. Zambrano warming up in pen.

Apparently, a small K zone by the ump.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Santana strikes out Tejada to start off the 3rd. That's 4 K's for Santana.

Play-by-play guys think the ump is terrible and is starting to play a negative roll in the game.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Pujols walks.

[Elster88]

That's a sick Dominican lineup. Cabrera batting 7th.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Yeah, my lineup's all kinds of screwy though. I think he's batting 6th.

Santana gets squeezed on Ortiz and walks him, but gets Alou to ground into a double play.

Announcers REALLY unhappy with this ump. So is Santana.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Fonzie with a lead-off single and a tiny bit of redemption for his error.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Grounder to Tejada, who bobbles it, costing the double play. Fonzie out at second.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Vizquel slaps the ball to left for a single. He's 2-2.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Guillen pops up to short, then Abreu makes an out. Not sure how.

Santana still in.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Leadoff single for Beltre.

[seawolf17]

Who the heck is A Castillo catching for the DR? Is that the great ex-Met Alberto Castillo?

[Guest Rotblatt]

Santana strikes out Encarnacion, and NOW Sojo comes out to yank him. C. Zambrano in to pitch.

Santana ends up with 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR

on edit--3 hits, not 4.

[Guest Rotblatt]

seawolf17 wrote: Who the heck is A Castillo catching for the DR? Is that the great ex-Met Alberto Castillo?

It is, in fact, former Met Alberto Castillo! Good call. He got 100 at bats with KC last year, and sucked--.602 OPS.

[seawolf17]

He got an AB for Oakland in '05 and sucked there too, striking out.

He's the best catcher the DR could find? I thought they were a powerhouse.

[Willets Point]

I remember when Castillo hit a home run off Pedro during a Mets-Red Sox game I saw at Fenway back in 1998.

[Guest sharpie]

Venezuela, meanwhile, has Ramon Hernandez at first. He only played parts of 2 games there in 2001. One team deep at catcher, one team not so deep.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Batista came in to relieve Colon. Cabrera got on base, but Hernandez ground into a double play. Ordonez with a single.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Martinez with a walk. Fonzie's at the plate with 2 outs and the tying runs on.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

If they had done this WBC thing twenty years ago, the Dominican team would probably have a shortstop at every position.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Fonzie with a ribbie single into right, driving in Ordonez!

Martinez at 3rd.

DR lead cut to 2-1.

This is a pretty good game so far.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Juan Rivera hits one to deep right center, but Encarnacion gets there to end the inning.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Soriano ground out.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Mets born in the Dominican Republic (36)

• Azua
  Junior Noboa
• Bajos de Haina
  Yorkis Perez
• Bani
  Manny Aybar, Timo Perez
• Barahona
  Felix Heredia
• Cambiaso
  Alejandro Pe�a
• Central Barabona
  Ted Martinez
• Cotui
  Duaner Sanchez
• Haina
  Jesus Alou, Mel Rojas
• Hato Mayor
  Pedro Astacio
• Jacagua
  Jos� Parra
• La Romana
  Rafael Santana, Manny Hernandez
• Manoguayabo
  Pedro Martinez
• Ramon Santana
  Armando Benitez
• San Cristobal
  Jos� Vizcaino, Wilson Delgado
• San Juan de la Maguana
  Alberto Castillo
• San Pedro de Macoris
  Amado Samuel, Juan Samuel, Tony Fernandez, Josias Manzanillo, Jos� Offerman, Manny Acta, Manny Alexander
• Santiago
  Jos� Reyes
• Santo Domingo
  Jos� Moreno, Bartolome Fortunato, Octavio Dotel, Edwin Almonte, Victor Diaz, Anderson Hernandez
• Villa Altagracia
  Nino Espinosa
• Villa Mella
  Pedro Martinez
• Villa Vasquez
  Frank Taveras

Mets born in Venezuela (18)

• Agua Negar
  Melvin Mora
• Anaco
  Miguel Cairo
• Aragua
  Al Pedrique
• Caracas
  Elio Chacon, Juan Castillo, Jorge Velandia, Richard Hidalgo, Orber Moreno
• Ciudad Bolivar
  Carlos Mendoza
• Lara
  Tony Castillo
• Los Teques
  Victor Zambrano
• Nueva Esparita
  Roberto Petagine
• Sta Teresa
  Edgardo Alfonzo
• Valencia
  Alvaro Espinoza, Roger Cede�o, Alex Escobar
• Yaracuy
  Marco Scutaro
• Zulia
  Julio Machado

[Guest Rotblatt]

Tejada pops it up. 2 out.

Pujols at bat.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Nifty, Yance!

Ortiz walks.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Alou singles in Pujols from 2nd, and Ortiz chugs into 3rd uncontested! 3-1 Dominican.

[Guest Rotblatt]

And a no-doubt Adrian Beltre home run!

Wow. Zambrano REALLY struggling.

6-1 DR.