World Cup Performances -- Latest: Quote -- "Nick Bucci was unreal"

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Canada hammers South Korea 9-1 in opening game at baseball World Cup

 

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Canada scored eight runs in the seventh inning en route to a 9-1 win over South Korea in its opening game at the IBAF Baseball World Cup on Thursday.

 

Nick Bucci of Sarnia, Ont., threw five shutout innings for Canada, giving up three hits and four walks with two strikeouts.

 

Adam Loewen of Surrey, B.C., was 3-for-4 to lead the Canadian offence while Tim Smith of Toronto added a three run home run.

 

"I didn't have my greatest stuff out there, but I battled for five and was able to give us a chance to win," Bucci said.

 

Canadian manager Ernie Whitt was impressed with his team's first effort at the tournament.

 

"Bucci did a great job for us and shut them down for five innings," said Whitt. "Pitching and defence is always the key and we were fortunate to score some runs late."

 

Chris Robinson of Dorchester, Ont., had a solid outing defensively, throwing out two base stealers in the second and fifth innings and picking off a runner at second in the fourth when South Korea had runners at first and second with nobody out.

 

"In international baseball you always need someone to make those big defensive plays," said Robinson. "I guess tonight was my turn and hopefully tomorrow someone else will make the plays, and in games like this you need to be fundamentally sound."

 

Loewen called it a "fun game to play in."

 

"Usually Korea plays pretty good against us, so we wanted to jump on them and once we had the lead we wanted to score as many runs as possible to make it easy on our pitchers," he said. "It was a well rounded game. We didn't make any mistakes and that's what we've been trying to do."

 

Loewen got Canada on the board in the bottom of the second when his RBI triple scored Robinson.

 

In the seventh, Loewen drove in Smith, who led off the inning with a single.

 

Adam Stern of London, Ont., then singled to drive in Loewen.

 

Shawn Bowman of Port Moody, B.C., added a two-run double while Cole Armstrong of Surrey, B.C., had an RBI single before Smith capped the scoring with his three-run homer.

 

"Any time you're playing for your country it means a little bit more," said Smith. "Playing with a bunch of great guys and in a fun environment, there is no reason not to get pumped up."

 

Jim Henderson of Calgary threw 1 1/3 inning of relief and retired all four batters he faced while Chris Kissock of Trail, B.C., pitched retired the side in the ninth to end the game.

 

Canada lost to the Koreans 1-0 at last summer's Olympics.

 

"There's a little redemption there for us after that tough loss against these guys at the Olympics," said Robinson. "You know you can talk about all the travelling and hanging out with the guys being good for team moral, but once you get out there and play in the first game that means something is exciting and I'm thinking some really good things about this club right now. I think we have a really good shot."

 

Canada plays the Netherlands Antilles on Friday.

[Mass Haas]

Brett Lawrie three-run home run, Adam Stern two-run single in Canadian rout

Box score

[SoCalBrewfan]

Is that our Uli catching for the Neth. Antilles? (How many Ulrich Snijders can there be?) They were a bit overmatched I would say, but they'd be tougher with Jurrjens and Andruw Jones, though, I bet. And maybe Hensley Meulens?

[Mass Haas]

Box Score as LHP Efrain Nieves has a stellar outing for Puerto Rico vs. South Africa

South Africa's cleanup hitter, Jonathan Phillips, a one-time Brewer farmhand...

 

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Game Story as Canada rolls for a third time, theri comp[etition about to get much stiffer -- Box Score as Brett Lawrie has another good day, this one from the leadoff spot

[Mass Haas]

Silly me, thinking perhaps the Nieves news was first on the Brewer interwebs here, you can't beat Chris at Rattler Radio -- bookmark him as a favorite all summer long...

[Mass Haas]

Brett Lawrie 0-for-4, future minor league free agent Adam Stern reached twice, former Brewers R'.J. Swindle and Vince Perkins pitched for Canada in their 8-0 loss to the U.S.

[Mass Haas]

Rough outing for RHP Jim Henderson as Australia defeats Canada in 10.

 

Yes, three runs against Henderson in the 10th were unearned and were allowed by R.J. Swindle after Henderson's departure, but Jim still struggled, and also allowed a 9th inning home run.

 

Brett Lawrie 1-for-5 with a walk.

 

I guess "placed on first" means issued a walk?

 

Have we missed all or any of LHP David Welch's outings for Australia in this tournament?

[RattlerRadio]

In this tournament "placed on first" actually does mean "placed on first".

The World Cup is using the extra inning format that was used in the Olympics. At the start of each extra inning, a runner is placed on first and a runner is placed on second.

It appears that if those runs score they are unearned against the pitcher.

[Mass Haas]

Wow, check out LHP David Welch's line for Australia vs. Chinese Taipei -- he was long gone before a wild 10th inning decided things.

 

Way to go, mate!

[Mass Haas]

Hey, how about what recently-turned 19-year-old RHP Nick Bucci is doing on the world stage? This kid is going to be ultra-confident next season, might he be polished enough to begin at Brevard? Seems like it, plus the gushing we read from Brewer brass...

 

4.1 shutout innings in his start, yet to give up a run in 9.1 IP -- he walked two batters in the 5th (three overall), but was picked up by the bullpen in a Canada team victory. This was over Mexico, where I'm sure players were toiling all summer in a AAA-compatible Mexican League.

 

Brett Lawrie had an RBI on a sac fly.

 

Box Score

 

"We needed this one for sure," says Bucci. "We came out strong tonight, got a couple of run on the board early then we were able to shut them down for the most part."

The Canadians got on the board in the top of the first inning when Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Toronto's Tim Smith hit an RBI single to give Canada an early 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, things got heated after Bucci struck out Mario Valenzuela. Some words were exchanged between the two and both benches cleared, but cooler heads prevailed.

"That's just the way I am - I'm a little fiery," said Bucci. "I don't mean harm. It's just my intensity."

 

Full game story

[BoKnowsBall]

So baby-faced Bucci is fiery- I like it

[Mass Haas]

Chris, Voice of the Rattlers, with a World Cup update for us

[battlekow]

Baseball America's Ben Badler on Brett Lawrie:

Scout on Brett Lawrie's D: I thought he was OK at 2B. He showed good range, turned the DP & the hands were playable

[SoCalBrewfan]

o baby-faced Bucci is fiery- I like it

 

Guess that's the 'assassin' part of baby faced assassin. At least in part. I personally had no inkling before this year that Bucci was a guy to watch, but he's clearly opened some eyes this year...in the org as well which is of course a lot more important.

[Mass Haas]

19-year-old LHP Efrain Nieves allowed two runs over 4.2 innings, striking out six, as Puerto Rico knocked off previously undefeated Cuba 5-2 in World Cup play.

 

Box Score

Brett Lawrie was just a triple shy of a cycle in a 19-2 Canadian rout of Netherlands Antilles (not to be confused with the lone undefeated team in the tournament at 5-0, the Netherlands).

 

Box Score

The Brewer farmhands have performed exceedingly well in this tournament.

[Minigoon]

So baby-faced Bucci is fiery- I like it

Don't forget, he was tossed for a AA game after hitting a batter during his stint in Huntsville. Definately firey.

[Mass Haas]

So baby-faced Bucci is fiery- I like it

Don't forget, he was tossed for a AA game after hitting a batter during his stint in Huntsville. Definately firey.

 

As long as impact 2009 reliever Michael Fiers is fiery too -- too obvious, right? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Mass Haas]

In Saturday action, Brett Lawrie gets the triple he needed Friday, and then adds a double for good measure (I would love to hear the sound of the ball off his bat) in a win over Italy today. Canada has qualified for the third round and ends pool play Sunday vs. Chinese Taipei. Reliever Jim Henderson allowed a run in one inning. Adam Stern a nice game as well, but we haven't focused on him as he's likely to become a minor league free agent.

 

Box Score

[Mass Haas]

Chris updates us on Sunday at the World Cup -- LHP David Welch should be coming up on a 3rd start for Australia, but it wasn't Sunday.

[trwi7]

Baseball America's Ben Badler on Brett Lawrie:

Scout on Brett Lawrie's D: I thought he was OK at 2B. He showed good range, turned the DP & the hands were playable

 

Thank you! I'm glad someone finally said it. His play at second wasn't nearly as bad as some in the media would make you think.

[Mass Haas]

Before a raucous 250 fans in Italy today, Aussie LHP David Welch gave up six hits, two runs (1 ER) and two walks in six innings, while striking out five, but the United States scored a walkoff 4-3 victory in the bottom of the 9th.

 

There's a "gametracker" here where you can click "replay the game play-by-play" and watch little cartoon dudes.

 

Looks like both squads advance to the third round, this was about seeding today.

 

Welch can be proud, he's been fantastic in three starts. If Australia had won again today, he'd be building up an MVP-type resume for the tournament. His efforts have been noted in many of the press releases thus far.

[Mass Haas]

Brett Lawrie (Brewers) broke a scoreless tie in the ninth inning with a leadoff solo home run, and Rene Tosoni (Twins) gave the Canadians a cushion with a two-run double later in the inning as Canada beat Puerto Rico 3-0. Nick Bucci (Brewers) pitched five no-hit innings as Canada's pitchers held Puerto Rico to one hit. Trystan Magnuson (Blue Jays) gave up the hit (to Jose Valentin in the seventh) in two scoreless innings, while Dustin Molleken (Pirates) got the win with a scoreless eighth. Jimmy Henderson (Brewers) finished up for the save in the ninth inning. Former Mets farmhand Orlando Roman got the loss for Puerto Rico.

 

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Link while active, text follows:

 

Canada blanks Puerto Rico 3-0 in third round of Baseball World Cup

NETTUNO, Italy - Brett Lawrie hit the go-ahead home run in the ninth inning and four Canadian pitchers combined on a one-hitter in a 3-0 win over Puerto Rico in third-round action Tuesday at the Baseball World Cup.

Lawrie, of Burnaby, B.C., belted a solo homer to lead off the top of the ninth, giving Canada a 1-0 lead. Chris Robinson of Dorchester, Ont., followed with a single and one out later, Adam Stern of London drew a walk. Rene Tosoni of Coquitlam, B.C., followed with a two-run double down the right-field line to give the Canadians (2-2) all the runs they would need.

Nick Bucci of Sarnia, Ont., tossed five hitless innings for Canada, allowing just a pair of walks while striking out two.

"I can't say enough about our pitchers, they've done a great job," said Canadian manager Ernie Whitt. "I'm really proud of Bucci. Here is a young pitcher facing some really good international competition and you see him develop every game."

Bucci, 19, said it was important to keep pace with his Puerto Rican counterparts.

"We went out there and battled," said Bucci. "Their guys were putting up zeros and I just wanted to go out there and do the same."

Bucci gave way to Trystan Magnuson to start the sixth inning. The Vancouver native allowed Puerto Rico's only hit of the game, a Jose Valentin single leading off the seventh inning.

Dustin Molleken of Regina followed with a scoreless inning to earn the win, and Jimmy Henderson of Calgary pitched the ninth to earn the save.

"That was one of those games where it seemed that you just needed to get something going," said Robinson, who finished with three hits. "The way we pitched was the way we've been pitching all tournament.

"We were able to add two more runs in the end, but the way things were going it looked like one was going to be enough."

The Canadians face Venezuela on Wednesday.

 

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It's just ridiculous the polish and maturity Nick Bucci has shown since the moment he was bumped from extended spring training in Maryvale to Huntsville, to Helena, and now in the World Cup.

[Mass Haas]

Chris collects some additional updates; LHP Efrain Nieves a bit wild in his start against the U.S., but hardly rocked -- just the fact he's been chosen to start is something. Old friend Jason Childers the save for the U.S.

[Mass Haas]

Chris Mehring continues his World Cup recaps as it winds down -- one mis-type, it's U.S. vs Cuba in Sunday's final.

 

As Chris notes, Canada finished a solid 3rd, and check out the Australia box score -- LHP David Welch with a fantastic tournament.

[Mass Haas]

From John Manuel's Baseball America recap:

Australia finished fifth, beating the Netherlands 4-1. Lefthander David Welch (Brewers) finished a brilliant tournament with a victory. Welch threw 24 innings, gave up just three earned runs and struck out 27.