Last night in an 11-inning stunner in San Juan, the scrappy Netherlands team eliminated the mighty Dominican Republic. Start to finish the game was a nailbiter. Flamethrower Ubaldo Jimenez started for the Dominicana and struck out 10 in four innings, but another youngster, Tom Stuifbergen (sic?) of the Netherlands, was able to stifle the big bats of the 'republic of baseball'. Each team had some chances and each time came up short. Finally, in the 11th, the Dominicans pushed across a run. Game over, right? No, the Netherlands tied it. Unbelievable. Then, with the help of more sloppy play by the DR, got another. Game over! Unbelievable.
As color analyst Jim Kaat said at game end, "If you ain't Dutch, you ain't much." I don't know how the game played in the Netherlands, but it was a thriller. Yay, yay, yay! Watching the players and coaches celebrate on the field was sweet.
Bless the editor who suddenly changed the deadline I had yesterday! That meant that I was able to watch this game and some of the one between Italy and Venezuela in Toronto. Italy, another scrappy underdog, hung in till the 4th, then Venezuela took over in a 10-1 rout. I had to bail on the Australia-Cuba game in Mexico City after a couple of innings but did get to see the young Cuban pitcher, named Chapman, a long, tall bolt of electricity. And I also saw the fabulous 4-6-3 play turned by Cuba on a groundout. Not a double play, mind you. When I tottered off to bed, it was 1-0 Cuba. I learned this morning that Cuba had won 5-4, barely beating the surprising Aussies.
