Baseball Musings: Japan vs. the United States

March 12, 2006

Japan vs. the United States

Japan starts the game off the right way with a home run by Ichiro Suzuki. Tsuyoshi Nishioka follows with a single to center. Jake Peavy is on the mound for the US.

Jeter turns a double play on the next batter.

Update: Japan finishes the inning with no other damage. They lead the US 1-0 going to the bottom of the first.

Update: Poor defense by the Japanese to start the bottom of the first. The second baseman allows Young to reach on an error, then, when Jeter tries to bunt Young over, they go for the out at second and fail to make the play. The US has the first two runners on.

Update: Uehara strikes out Griffey looking. It's A-Rod's turn.

Update: Uehara induces a double play to end the inning. The US can't take advantage of the fielding miscues.

Update: A walk and a single in the top of the second puts men on first and second for Japan.

Update: A sacrifice sets up a two-run single by Munenori Kawasaki. Japan is putting the ball in play and good things are happening against the US defense. Japan leads 3-0.

Update: Chipper Jones homers leading off the second for the US. That cuts the Japanese lead to 3-1.

Update: Japan makes two good defensive plays in the bottom of the 5th, the last by the shortstop on a shallow fly to center by Griffey. The score remains 3-1 Japan.

Update: That's it for Peavy. Scot Shields starts the sixth for the US.

Update: The new Japanese pitcher in the sixth, Shimizu, does not understand the rule about going to your mouth on the mound. He's licking his fingers instead of blowing on them. He's been called twice on it. It leads to a walk of Chipper Jones, and then helps him fall behind Derrek Lee. That was the big mistake as Lee takes him deep to tie the game at three.

Update: With the bases loaded and one out, Akinori Iwamura hits what appears to be a sacrifice fly. But Martinez appeals, and the runner at third is called out for leaving early. Oh is arguing, but it looks like the top of the eighth is over and the score is still tied at 3. A huge mistake by Japan!

Update: Billy Sample thinks the runner started his body moving before his foot left the base, and that fooled the umpires.

Update: In the top of the 9th, Japan gets men to 2nd and 3rd with two out. Lidge then walks Nishioka to load the bases.

Update: Tamura strikes out on a splitter to end the inning. They'll go to the bottom of the ninth tied at 3.

Update: Vernon Wells gets an infield hit in the hole to lead off the ninth inning.

Update: Once again, a team tries to get the lead runner on a sacrifice. The second baseman is late getting to the bag, then doesn't hold the bag once he gets there. It's an E4, and the US has the winning run in scoring position with none out. Young is up, and he's 3 for 4 today.

Correction: The play was to first. I was listening on the radio and they just talked about the second baseman, so I made a wrong assumption. The second baseman was covering first, and was slow to get there.

Update: Buck Martinez is an idiot. He has Michael Young bunt, and he pushes it back to the mound and they get Wells at third. With the man in scoring position, why not let Young try to drive Wells in? Too many bunts!

Update: Jeter takes one for the team as he's hit by a pitch to move the winning run to third with one out.

Update: Griffey strikes out with the bases loaded. It's up to A-Rod. Sounds like he swung at ball four.

Update: A-Rod comes through with a single up the middle to plate the winning run. The US defeats Japan 4-3 with a bit of help from the umpires.

The Japanese pitchers were impressive, striking out seven and walking only one. They did give up 12 hits, however, and their defense let them down in the 9th on the first bunt attempt.

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Posted by David Pinto at 04:11 PM | World Cup | TrackBack (0)

Comments

wow, I've never seen a "he didn't leave 3rd base early" call reversed before. The replay is too close for me to call.

Posted by: rbj at March 12, 2006 06:39 PM

How could the umpire reverse that call? I understand if he clearly left the bag too soon but...

Posted by: kenshin at March 12, 2006 06:42 PM

Man, I saw the replay on ESPNDeportes and it looks like the US got a gift here.

Posted by: Adam Villani at March 12, 2006 06:43 PM

"A huge mistake by Japan!"? Come on, besides replay how come has the Ump reversed a call after coach's complaint before even conferencing with the rest of officials.

Right now the biggest mistake is bringing Barret for Schneider and not Varitek.

Posted by: Miq at March 12, 2006 06:51 PM

Of course, that pitch Griffey "struck out" on was a bit outside. Not being able to see many of the games I can't tell if the umpiring during the tournament is substandard.

Posted by: rbj at March 12, 2006 06:54 PM

Looks like the umpires have no problem tainting the WBC like they did the playoffs last year. Even thought this is not the same set of umpires or even the same union, it is a shame that they cannot get procedures correct the first time. I wonder what kind of oversight there is on umpires in both the WBC and MLB.

Posted by: Mike at March 12, 2006 06:57 PM

I hate bunting.

Posted by: LargeBill at March 12, 2006 07:16 PM

Japan got ripped off, wow.

Posted by: adwred at March 12, 2006 07:26 PM

I wish ESPN would give some assurances that their two pictures in replay of the Sac Fly are timed exactly.

Posted by: Franklin Scott at March 12, 2006 07:31 PM

Japan got ripped off, there is no way an umpire can reverse a call without holding a conference with the other two; and besides there is no way the runner left early we have the benefit of the replay.....the umps don´t, so let us assume it was a missjudged call.......but then again let me remind you they´re not top caliber umps...where did they get these guys from anyways.....

Posted by: Eddie at March 12, 2006 07:41 PM

It really wasn't close on the tag at third. Japan got ripped. Hard to undertand why the WBC doesn't use international umpiring crews, even with all the language difficulties.

It's lucky for Davidson that Earl Weaver wasn't managing the Japan team. The argument might still be going on.

As much as I ripped him for using Leiter against Canada, I have to give Martinez credit. He saw that Davidson wanted to overrule the call, and made sure the umps talked about it. Martinez helped steal a very important game for the U.S., one that might guarantee their semifinal berth.

Terrific game. The WBC ain't turning out so bad.

Posted by: Casey Abell at March 12, 2006 07:44 PM

Tainted?!?

Tainted is gambling, racial discrimination, stealing signs. . .
This is just a blown call.

Posted by: Baseball Widow at March 12, 2006 08:28 PM

Stealing signs? I guess that was tongue-in-cheek (wink).

One comment in the entry about the game is incorrect. On the first bunt in the bottom of the ninth, Japan didn't try to get the lead runner. They went to first, but the second baseman didn't get his foot on the bag until it was too late. The umps got that one right, as ESPN2's replays showed.

I also can't fault Martinez for using the bunt twice in the inning. After all, the bunts help set up the bases-loaded situation that eventually won the game for the U.S.

And the pitch Griffey struck out on was definitely the game-winning ball four. He chased a high fastball, as the ESPN2 announcers predicted he might. I was sure the U.S. was going to lose after that. Shows what I know.

A really fun game to watch. I started out watching it on mlb.com, then checked to see if ESPN2 was carrying the game live. (ESPN2 got their biggest numbers so far this year with previous WBC games.) Sorry for those who missed the telecast, which was added at the last moment instead of the scheduled tennis tournament.

Posted by: Casey Abell at March 12, 2006 09:42 PM

that call completely ruined the game for me. japan definitely got ripped off, and don't think that this is over. i live in tokyo, and will guarantee you that nishioka's tag-up soon surpasses shizuka arakawa's gold medal figure skating performance in replays.

however, people don't understand how much this means to japan. japan has been waiting over 70 years to play the US in a game in which both sides are taking it seriously. they know they got ripped off, but also feel that if they beat korea and mexico, they will have another chance to beat the US. this is NOT over!

Posted by: steve at March 12, 2006 11:30 PM

I never recoginaize all the umpires are Americans. This is the crazy thing because this game is the serious international game. MLB is going to a wrong way and don't appeal the baseball is fantastic, wonderful and great over the world.
Why the minor-league umpires judge???

Posted by: Macs at March 13, 2006 10:11 AM

its all about the USA, all the time, couldn't have them lose the game now could we?

Posted by: pb at March 13, 2006 12:03 PM

Oh come on, the conspiracy theories are getting a little ridiculous. In fact, the U.S. did lose a game in the first round that might have bounced them out of the tournament.

Davidson made a bad call. There's no reason to blow it up into an international incident. In future WBCs baseball should use international crews of umpires to avoid even an appearance of impropriety. But unless somebody produces some pretty strong evidence, there's no reason to suspect foul play in a foul call.

Posted by: Casey Abell at March 13, 2006 03:03 PM