Announcement

**caribeño** · 03-07-2006, 08:35 AM

Originally posted by cuban_aficionado

Today @ 7:00 pm ET Time Panama (Visitors) vs Puerto Rico (Home)

Panama opens with Lenin Picota, a 39-year-old right-hander, heading to the hill opposite Puerto Rico's Javier Vazquez.

The game will be shown live in ESPN Deportes and Tape Delay in ESPN @ 3:00 am on March 8th.

http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/...ang=en&sid=wbc

Is Lenín that old ? I thought he was a younger pitcher . :noidea

**Cubano100%** · 03-07-2006, 11:10 AM

Last year he played in China Taipei.

**Andruw** · 03-08-2006, 12:19 AM

Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Williams' single helps Puerto Rico nip Panama

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Associated Press

RECAP | BOX SCORE

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Puerto Rico's first game in the World Baseball Classic was a tougher test than many expected.

Bernie Williams hit a tiebreaking single, Alex Rios homered and Team Puerto Rico made its WBC debut with a 2-1 victory over Panama on Tuesday night.

"We swung at too many first pitches. We'll be talking about that to the team because we need to address that," Puerto Rican manager Jose Oquendo said.

Javier Vazquez got help from his bullpen, and Williams' single up the middle scored Alex Cintron in the fifth inning to put Puerto Rico ahead before a home crowd of more than 19,000 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

With a roster that also features major league stars Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Ivan Rodriguez, Puerto Rico is a heavy favorite to finish among the top two teams in its group and advance to the second round. Cuba and the Netherlands are also in Pool C.

Team Panama manager Anibal Reluz Vasquez still thinks his team can make it to the next round.

"We will stay motivated to win this championship and we'll keep fighting," he said. "Today we had more chances to win than Puerto Rico, but it just didn't work out."

Bruce Chen, Panama's best pitcher, will go to the mound Wednesday against Cuba.

"Tomorrow we will bring Bruce Chen, who may be our best card in the stack," Reluz Vasquez said. "We have done some strong scouting on Cuba. We've played them a lot in the past and they're going to have to bring their best tomorrow to beat us."

Rios was down 0-2 in the count in the fifth before his home run tied the score at 1.

"I was very proud," he said. "I saw the left fielder getting close to the wall, but I felt very proud when the ball went into the stands."

That chased Panama starter Lenin Picota after 60 pitches.

"He threw strikes and my boys were anxious," Oquendo said.

Cintron followed with an infield hit. A sacrifice bunt by Alex Cora sent Cintron to second, and Williams gave Team Puerto Rico the lead with a signature line drive that split the diamond and bounced into center field.

Vazquez left in the fourth with two on and none out. He threw 57 pitches.

"Vazquez was working too fast and he was pitching a little too high in the strike zone," Oquendo said.

Federico Baez loaded the bases with a walk to Ruben Rivera, and Carlos Ruiz walked to force in the first run of the game. But Baez escaped by getting a fly ball and a double-play grounder.

Panama also threatened in the first, putting runners on first and second with none out. Olmedo Saenz hit into a fielder's choice, forcing Orlando Miller at third for the first out.

Freddy Herrera then took off from second on a fly ball hit by Carlos Lee that was caught by Puerto Rican left fielder Jose Cruz Jr., who threw to second for an inning-ending double play.

Panama returned the favor in the bottom half. Puerto Rico manager Jose Oquendo gave the hit-and-run sign to Rodriguez with one out, but Beltran struck out and the runner was thrown out at second.

Lee missed a two-out RBI opportunity for Panama in the fifth when he grounded out, leaving a runner on third.

The winning pitcher was Jose Santiago, who went 1 2/3 innings. Manuel Acosta took the loss.

Puerto Rico plays the Netherlands on Wednesday, and Panama plays Cuba.

**cuban_aficionado** · 03-08-2006, 08:25 AM

Puerto Rico vs Panama a close game

A 2 to 1 victory gives Puerto Rico some breathing room against Netherlands today. Bernie Williams and Alexis Rios where the heroes for Puerto Rico. Alexis with a solo home run put PR on the board and Williams RBI the wining run.

The fact that Panama did not loose by a large number of runs means they have better stuff on the mound than what everyone though....

http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/...339401&gameid=

**cuban_aficionado** · 03-08-2006, 08:30 AM

Cuba has though match against Panama

After seeing the way they lose yesterday to Puerto Rico, team Cuba should be worried because they will be facing a stronger team Panama decided to win or go home.

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/a...t=.jsp&sid=wbc

**cuban_aficionado** · 03-08-2006, 08:45 AM

Why Chen against Cuba?

After Picota pitches against Puerto Rico, Chen is in line to start against Cuba on Wednesday. The move was made because Chen is no longer a mystery to most of Puerto Rico's Major Leaguer-dominated lineup. Baltimore Orioles left-hander Bruce Chen last season record: 13-10, 3.83 ERA.

Panama manager Anibal Reluz felt that Chen was the right pitcher to throw against the Cubans, as the two teams have met several times in international competition. Cuba is not very familiar with Chen, and Reluz said that Chen's experience in the Majors makes him the right man for the job.

We have played against Cuba in the past, so we know the Cuban team pretty well," Reluz said through an interpreter. "Chen is somebody who can adjust to the different players, so we are confident that he will do well against the Cubans."

This game is going to be reallly important for Panama because they know if they loose, they are out of the tournament.

http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/...t=.jsp&sid=wbc

**Andruw** · 03-09-2006, 02:20 AM

Puerto Rico beats Netherlands; faces Cuba next

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Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Javy Lopez, Ivan Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran each hit solo home runs in Puerto Rico's 8-3 win over the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night.

Puerto Rico improved to 2-0 in Group C and will face rival Cuba on Friday.

Jose Valentin put Puerto Rico ahead for good in the sixth with a sacrifice fly to right field. Rodriguez and Beltran hit-back-to-back homers in the seventh to make it 7-3.

The Netherlands (0-1) took advantage of errors by left fielder Luis Matos and shortstop Alex Cintron to push across a run in the fourth. They added two in the fifth, tying the game at 3 when Ivanon Coffie scored on a throwing error by second baseman Alex Cora.

Puerto Rico starter Joel Pineiro allowed an unearned run and three hits in four innings. The Seattle right-hander struck out two and walked one. Orlando Roman walked two in 2/3 of an inning and got the win.

Jair Jurrjens allowed three earned runs in one inning for the Netherlands. Puerto Rico finished with 14 hits. Netherlands starter Rob Cordemans worked 2 2-3 innings, giving up four hits and two runs. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter.

Netherlands outfielder Andruw Jones was 0-for-3 with a walk.

**caribeño** · 03-09-2006, 12:47 PM

Panamá Great Showing

My applause to team Panamá . They were there with Puerto Rico until the last out . Picota threw a very good game . And yesterday against Cuba they played an incredible game ! They can feel very proud of the quality of their playing . It is very sad that a country which is known in the baseball world for his mega star closer could not win this so important game because when they needed him the most he simply did not show up .
A couple months ago i wrote about the owners maneuvers in order to keep their stars players away from the WBC . Now Mariano , whom i have admired so much , along with Mr Steinbrenner eliminated Panamá .
¡ Que triste , Mariano ! ( how sad Mariano )

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