THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — They came home looking to provide a sequel to that memorable win three years ago at the inaugural World Baseball Classic, and for a while it looked like it might actually happen.
A run in the first, another in the third and Canada was on top of the Americans again. Could another upset really be in store?
Not this time, despite some displays of thunder in their bats and the magic they had in Phoenix back in 2006. The Canadian pitching couldn’t hold off the mighty Americans on Saturday afternoon in the Pool C opener, coughing up three home runs in a 6-5 loss.
There was high drama and edge-of-your-seat entertainment throughout, especially in the ninth as J.J. Putz struggled to close things out. Russ Martin’s one-out double brought the 42,314 Rogers Centre fans to their feet, chanting "Let’s go, Canada." Joey Votto followed with an RBI double before the New York Mets reliever recovered to get Justin Morneau on a groundout and Jason Bay on a fly ball to right for the save.
"The mood in the clubhouse was kind of quiet, but it’s always quiet when you lose a tight game like that, especially against an opponent you want to beat so much," said Martin.
"I’m proud of my teammates, we showed a lot of heart out there. We weren’t expected to beat these guys and we didn’t end up beating them, but we gave them a run for their money."
The loss is hardly devastating for the Canadians and an argument can be made that it may end up more advantageous to them under the new tournament format than a victory would have been.
Canada faces Italy, which later lost to Venezuela 7-0, in a do-or-die game Monday (Vince Perkins is expected to start, with Scott Diamond to follow), while the Americans face Venezuela on Sunday with a berth in the second round in Miami on the line.
Assuming Canada wins Monday, it would play the loser of Sunday’s game to decide the second spot in the next stage. That road may very well be easier than having to advance the other way under the new double-knockout system.
Last time, Canada’s 8-6 win over the U.S., felt so good but ended up meaning nothing in the event when both teams along with Mexico finished 2-1. The Canadians lost out on the run-differential tiebreaker and went home.
"We never give up," said Canadian manager Ernie Whitt. "And even though we lost today, we know we had to win two games. So we have to win the next two games. That is the bottom line. And we’ll come out Monday, whoever we face, and we’ll be ready to win."
The Canadians gave an electric crowd that was far more engaged than any Toronto Blue Jays gathering in recent memory plenty of reason to hope for another upset, and a pair of surprises earlier in the day in other Classic action offered more fuel for the imagination. China eliminated Taiwan with a 4-1 win in Tokyo, while the Netherlands pulled off a massive stunner by downing the powerhouse Dominican Republic 3-2 in Puerto Rico.
Morneau’s run-scoring groundout in the first opened the scoring against Jake Peavy, and Votto’s solo blast to the second deck in right-centre in the third off the San Diego Padres ace made it 2-1 after Brian McCann’s sacrifice fly in the second.
But it was then the bottom fell out for Canadian starter Mike Johnson, the journeyman from Edmonton who was sharp through three before fading.
Kevin Youkilis opened the fourth with a solo shot to tie it. Adam Dunn walked and after Ryan Braun struck out, McCann launched a two-run blast to put the Americans up 4-2. The Canadians never got closer than a run the rest of the way.
"I’d like to have two pitches back," said Johnson, who took the loss. "They changed the whole ball game."
Still, the Canadians kept coming. Bay scored on a wild pitch in the fourth to cut the American edge to 4-3, but Dunn crushed a Chris Begg offering to centre for a two-run blast in the sixth. A Martin solo shot in the seventh off Scot Shields pulled Canada to within 6-4 before its rally in the ninth fell short.
"We owed them a little payback," said U.S. manager Davey Johnson. "You know three years ago, it wasn’t that close. All the scoring ended up fairly close. They’ve got a heck of a lineup.
"I thought our guys did a heck of a job holding them down."
There were missed chances for both teams and the Canadians will no doubt lament letting Peavy off the hook in the first.
After Morneau’s run-scoring groundout, Bay walked and Matt Stairs was hit by a pitch as the Canadians executed their plan to work Peavy to perfection. Luke Carlin, who caught Peavy in San Diego last season, told his teammates that the ace can sometimes try to be too fine around the edges of the zone and they laid off his pitches.
But Peavy rallied to get Mark Teahen swinging to end the frame and limit the damage to one.
"Those guys are professional hitters, middle of the lineup guys in the major-leagues," said Peavy. "Those guys are going to work you and when you don’t make your pitch, you pay."
The Canadian pitching, meanwhile, held up better than expected, giving the offence a chance to try and slug the team to victory. A highlight inning came in the seventh, when Phillippe Aumont, Seattle’s first-round pick in 2007, loaded the bases with none out but got David Wright on a soft flare to short and then sat down Kevin Youkilis and Curtis Granderson to escape unscathed.
"This is a great character builder for him," said Whitt. "It shows that he can play on this stage."
Peavy allowed two runs in three innings before winner LaTroy Hawkins, Matt Thornton, Joel Hanrahan, Shields, J.P. Howell and Putz followed with an inning each.
Canada, looking to save as many bullets as it can for its next two games, got four innings from Johnson, 1 1/3 from Chris Begg, 2/3 from Chris Leroux and inning each from Aumont and Dave Davidson.
"This is as good as it gets, this is a playoff atmosphere," said Peavy. "Everything is laid on the line, you’re doing everything to advance at this tournament, and playing for your country takes that through the roof.
"I can’t see how if you’re a baseball fan how you can’t get into this tournament. This is incredible."
Notes: Morneau was presented a plaque honouring him as The Canadian Press male athlete of the year in 2008 as selected by a poll of the country’s newspapers and broadcasters. The Lionel Conacher Award was presented by Conacher’s grandson. … Martin’s No. 55 jersey included a J in front of his last name for his mother, Susanne Jeanson. He reported no problems with his foot injury after playing nine innings. "The foot feels good right now," he said. "It’s a non-issue at this point." … Former Blue Jays Stairs and Corey Koskie were cheered loudly by fans. … Derek Jeter of the Yankees, along with Boston’s Dustin Pedroia and Youkilis, received the loudest boos from the crowd, which also jeered former Blue Jay Ted Lilly, now of the Chicago Cubs. … Roy Oswalt will start the second game for the Americans.
