United States - 101 000 020 - 4 9 3As you can tell from his line -- 4.2-5-2-2-3-4, 98 -- Dice was Dice. But Japan pummeled Oswalt in the fourth and a throwing error by Derek Jeter opened the door to three insurance runs in the eighth.
Japan - 010 500 03x - 9 10 1
Japan and Korea --who have already played each other four times in this WBC -- will meet in the title game tomorrow night.
***
Japan's (and Boston's) Daisuke Matsuzaka will face the United States at 8 PM tonight in the penultimate game of the 2009 WBC.
The winner will play Korea, who whipped Venezuela 10-2 last night, in Monday's championship game.
Tonight's pitching match-up is Dice / Roy Oswalt. There is a pitch count limit of 100 in the semifinals and finals.
Between 2006 and 2009, Matsuzaka is 5-0, 1.57 in five WBC games. Oswalt has not pitched since last Sunday's game against the Netherlands. Jake Peavy (2 GS, 14.40) would pitch on Monday, if necessary.
The US is missing the left side of its infield: Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia. David Wright, who cracked the nail on his big toe with a foul ball, should be at third, but Evan Longoria is on the bench as a reserve. Ryan Braun, who missed two games in Round 2 with a strained right oblique muscle, will be back. Adam Dunn will return to right field, with Mark DeRosa at first base.
Japan will be without 3B Shuichi Murata (.320/.379/.560) because of a torn right hamstring.
US manager Davey Johnson played for the Yomiuri Giants in 1975-76.
I'm hoping to watch this one, work permitting. ... Actually, "no work" will permit me to watch.
ReplyDeleteMurata TORE his hamstring? Damn! That's too bad.
ReplyDeleteWhy in the hell would they not just start Longoria at 1st? He's a far, far better hitter than DeRosa, and DeRosa's slick fielding is sort of mitigated by his playing first.
ReplyDeleteRoberts, 2B
ReplyDeleteJeter, SS
Rollins, DH
Wright, 3B
Dunn, RF
Braun, LF
McCann, C
DeRosa, 1B
Granderson, CF
Suzuki, RF
Nakajima, SS
Aoki, LF
Inaba, DH
Ogasawara, 1B
Fukudome, CF
Johjima, C
Iwamura, 2B
Kawasaki, 3B
Roberts leadoff HR to center of Dice.
ReplyDeleteCI 6-3, but Rollins gets a bloop to fall in between SS & CF.
ReplyDeleteDice gets Wright and Dunn.
ReplyDelete1-0 after a half.
I think Japan went OTT, but GDGD has frozen after Ichiro.
ReplyDeleteDBD:
ReplyDeleteBraun: bbbcf 3U
McCann: bbbb
Dice in mid-season form -- when it comes to making you pull your hair out, that is. Falling behind just about everyone, sometimes significantly behind, but wriggling out of trouble.
ReplyDeleteUSA: 10
JPN: 0
There is a little McDonald's logo on the side of Japan's batting helmets.
ReplyDeleteBB and a single to start the bot 2nd for Japan.
ReplyDeleteFukudome hacks and P7. 1 out.
ReplyDeleteOne the one hand, I'd rather Japan win. On the other hand, I'd rather Daisuke stop throwing 100 pitches in spring training. Decisions... decisions....
ReplyDelete2 up in the Japan pen.
ReplyDeleteJohjima F9 scores a run, 1-1.
ReplyDeleteJohjima knows how to sack up.
ReplyDeleteGo Japan!
ReplyDeleteJeter grounds out, so when Rollins comes up, he doesn't have to worry about GIDP. And Rollins singles! Yay Jeter! What a leader!
ReplyDeleteUS 3rd: 2 outs, Rollins singles and steals second, scores on Wright's double to RCF.
ReplyDeleteDavid Wright's clearly learned a lot from Jeter, playing third base in the same New York that Jeter should be playing third base in.
ReplyDeleteDice then walks Dunn on 4 pitches. Mound visit.
ReplyDeleteThrow strikes, please.
ReplyDeleteDice nearly hits Lloyd Barun, gets a gift low strike, goes full and K for the 3rd out.
ReplyDelete2-1 US
Dice: 14-21-30 - 65
ReplyDeleteSee what I mean? Big influence on Wright.
ReplyDeletefucking hackers. jesus.
ReplyDeleteFUCK YOU, Lasorda!
ReplyDeleteIf only that foul would have domed Jeter...
ReplyDeleteokay dice, don't use 24 pitches to get the 3rd out, like you did last inning.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, w/r/t that A-Rod/hooker thing, would anyone be surprised if the A-Rod saga ends this August with a murder-suicide involving him and Jeter? I mean, is there anyway he could look any worse?
ReplyDeleteThat *would* surprise me -- mainly because those guys don't have as many sleepovers as they used to.
ReplyDeletejetes teaching roberts a thing or two, as well.
ReplyDelete1st and 2nd and 0 outs against Roy Harvey Oswalt.
ReplyDeleteNOOOOOOOOOO BUNTING!!!
ReplyDeleteNO NO NO NO
I've definitely thought about the possibility of a Sui-Rod. Actually, didn't someone here say something about him "pulling an Ian Curtis"? Or something?
ReplyDeletesee? swing the fucking stick!
ReplyDelete2-2
cool linescore at the moment
ReplyDeleteUSA - 101 0
JPN - 010 1
Gamethread!
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic alongside some rosemary chicken and an adult beverage.
Maybe he'll OD on Tic-Tacs.
ReplyDeleteAdam Dunn's defensive issues have not been overstated.
ReplyDeleteFucking Oswalt. Why wouldn't Mussina and Maddux come here and pitch for us?
was dunn expecting the ball to roll back to him? ya gotta chase it!
ReplyDeleteBeat thim Japs!
ReplyDeleteI think that's what Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are thinking.
My god, Oswalt. Fucking national league pitchers.
ReplyDeleteAdult beverages are wonderful. Homemade sangria!
ReplyDeleteIt never really hit me, the Oswalt/Oswald thing. It's almost like a guy named Hidler or something. Then again, people named Booth never really went away. They're like Fuck You, he don't represent us!
ReplyDeleteCurrently I'm enjoying a Mike's hard lemonade. Emphasize the word "enjoying." Very tasty to me.
ReplyDeleteJere, I keep thinking Oswald from the Drew Carey Show when I see Oswalt.
ReplyDeleteI'm at work. I just had a yogurt.
ReplyDelete:<(
Never saw the Drew Carey Show. Is it a dude they make fun of for having the name?
ReplyDeletePeavy's peaved now.
ReplyDeleteOh likes it!
ReplyDeleteI've got a good motto for the WBC they could use in '13:
ReplyDeleteWBC Action: When Kim's watching Iron Chef, Jere won't even bother to go to the other TV to watch it.
after 06 and 09, wouldn't it be 12?
ReplyDeleteor do they skip it because it's an olympic year?
who cares, really.
Uh oh, Davey Johnson is putting on a Jack Ruby mask.
ReplyDeleteI was under the impression it was "every four years--except the first break is three years ...for some reason."
ReplyDeleteDoesn't Oswalt have to go the movies first?
ReplyDeleteLet Dice go the 5th and be in line for the W and then get him the fuck outta there.
ReplyDeleteNever saw the Drew Carey Show. Is it a dude they make fun of for having the name?
ReplyDeleteNo but this guy was very, very dumb.
SHIT, there's some SS range.
ReplyDeleteBetter yet, don't let him finish the inning.
ReplyDeleteJoe Morgan just said "That's why he was 18-3 last year. Because he was always in trouble."
ReplyDelete98 - that's it.
ReplyDeleteToo bad DeRosa, but that's as far as you can hit a ball, it seems.
ReplyDeleteGame's rollin' on:
ReplyDeleteUSA: 101 000 0
JPN: 010 500 0
Steve Phillips is looking at Joe Morgan like what Joe says is going to be the most knowledgeable and thought-provoking and interesting answer that would provide insight into the secret of how we all came to be... or something.
ReplyDeletecan roberts walk or something?
ReplyDeletei want jetes to make the 3rd out.
insurance run pls.
ReplyDeleteyu darvish set to close it out in a minnit.
ReplyDeleteYES!!! RUN
ReplyDelete7-4 japan
and it's on a jeter error!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI finally put this game on, in time to see Jeter make a key error. NICE.
ReplyDeleteichiro with an rbi single: 8-4.
ReplyDeletethanks, ci!
I heard you guys talking about Dunn's defense before--you weren't kidding!
ReplyDeletegood god dunn sucks.
ReplyDeletea normal throw on that easy grounder by jeter would have ended the inning with the us down by 2.
ReplyDeletenow they are down by 5.
yu-s-a > u-s-a
manny is like willie mays out there compared to dunn. wow.
ReplyDeleteFirst four guys homer, next three get on, next two get out, Jeter ends game, US loses 9-8. Do it!
ReplyDeleterollins: 3 singles, triple, walk.
ReplyDeleteThey shouldn't play Unchained for Dunn. They should play Chained.
ReplyDeletedunn.
ReplyDeleteAnd ironically, two teams from the same initial pool will play in the finals, and they will play each other for the fifth time in this WBC.
ReplyDeletemore shots of sad jeter, pls.
ReplyDeleteWBC is getting really tedious. Japan vs Korea version 5.0? Yaaaaaawn.
ReplyDeleteI have watched maybe 10 minutes of this tournament. Just bring on MLB season.
Schilling out.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched the WBC this year (zero time), but how can something be tedious if you've only seen 10 minutes of it? That is one short attention span.
ReplyDeleteHaha fair enough. The thing is, I've tried to follow it despite not making any particular effort to go out of my way to watch it [i.e. having it on in the background while I do other things, pulling up scores on my cellphone, etc]. And the following has gotten tedious.
ReplyDelete