Olympic Baseball Tournament (R)

[DoyleG]

Last round for some time if ever.

13-22 August
Teams:
Canada
USA
Cuba
China
Taiwan
South Korea
Japan
Netherlands

[TechFootball85]

Serious contenders are Cuba, Japan, and U.S. Korea and Taiwan have ability to challenge them.

[Andy Bennett]

There's baseball in the olympics? When did that start??? :confused:

[riverplate]

South Korea answers U.S. ninth-inning rally for win (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/baseball/recap?gameId=629) - ESPN

USA___ 100 021 003 7
KOREA_ 021 030 002 8

BEIJING (AP) -- Lee Jong-wook hit a sacrifice fly with one out and South Korea answered the Americans' ninth-inning rally with one of its own, beating the United States 8-7 on Wednesday night in a thrilling Olympic baseball opener.

Lee Taek-keun's slide home easily beat the throw for the winning run, and he celebrated on his knees for a long while before getting up to join his jubilant teammates. The South Koreans then tipped their caps to all the enthusiastic fans from their homeland. The supporters were on their feet in the bleachers all night.

The Americans had seemed poised for the comeback victory after Matt Brown hit a go-ahead two-run single with two outs in the top of the ninth, but South Korea rallied against closer Jeff Stevens.

[riverplate]

Results:

August 12:
Canada 10, China 0
Taiwan 5, Netherlands 0

August 13:
Cuba 4, Japan 2
South Korea 8, USA 7

Standings:
Canada: 1-0
Taiwan: 1-0
Cuba: 1-0
South Korea: 1-0
USA: 0-1
China: 0-1
Japan: 0-1
Netherlands: 0-1

[TechFootball85]

Korea-U.S. game was very fun to watch.

[riverplate]

Strasburg strikes out 11 as U.S. shuts down Netherlands (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/baseball/recap?gameId=631) - ESPN

USA_________ 010 400 110 7
NETHERLANDS_ 000 000 000 0

BEIJING (AP) -- The United States beat the Netherlands 7-0 on Thursday in an Olympics baseball game that was called off after eight innings following a second rain delay.

The Dutch protested the decision because they had loaded the bases in the ninth inning with no outs. The protest was denied by baseball's international federation. The players shook hands after the game, which started 6½ hours earlier.

Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and struck out 11 for the Americans, who bounced back from a tough loss in their opener to South Korea.

Matt LaPorta hit a three-run homer and Matt Brown added a solo shot.

[riverplate]

Cuba's 11th-inning win puts Team USA in Olympic hole (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/baseball/recap?gameId=636) - ESPN

CUBA__ 200 000 010 02 5
USA___ 000 200 010 01 4

BEIJING -- The United States baseball team is in a big hole in these Olympics, and down a key player, too.

Jayson Nix fouled a ball off his left eye to start the bottom of the 11th inning of the Americans' 5-4, 11-inning loss to defending champion Cuba, left the game for the hospital and is likely done for the rest of the Beijing Games.

"He's in bad shape," said U.S. manager Davey Johnson, who accused the Cubans and burly pitcher Pedro Lazo of purposely going at Nix's head. Nix was bleeding badly after the injury and had a lot of swelling, Johnson said. Lazo, who hustled to home plate to check on Nix right away, denied going after the batter on purpose.

Michel Enriquez lined a go-ahead two-run single in the 11th. Lazo pitched six innings of relief for the win. Cuba is 3-0 and in strong position for a medal. At 1-2, the U.S. can ill afford many more slipups if it wants to reach the medal stand.

International baseball's new extra-innings rule was used for the first time Friday. Beginning in the 11th inning, runners go to first and second and teams can start at any point in their batting order.

[riverplate]

Results:

August 14
USA 7, Netherlands 0
Cuba 7, Canada 6
Japan 6, Taiwan 1
(South Korea-China, rainout)

August 15
China 8, Taiwan 7
Cuba 5, USA 4
South Korea 1, Canada 0
Japan 6, Netherlands 0

Standings:
Cuba: 3-0
South Korea: 2-0
Japan: 2-1
China: 1-1
Canada: 1-2
Taiwan: 1-2
USA: 1-2
Netherlands: 0-3

[riverplate]

U.S. baseball overcomes 4-run deficit to beat Canada (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/baseball/recap?gameId=639) - ESPN

CANADA__ 012 100 000 4
USA_____ 000 210 200 5

BEIJING (AP) -- Terry Tiffee doubled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the seventh, Brian Barden homered and tied the game with his seventh-inning double and the U.S. baseball team rallied from a four-run deficit to beat Canada 5-4 in Olympic baseball Saturday.

Brian Duensing retired 10 of the final 11 batters for the win as the Americans turned a one-run result in their favor for a change. They lost their opener 8-7 to South Korea and then a demoralizing 5-4, 11-inning defeat to defending champion Cuba on Friday.

Barden played in place of injured second baseman Jayson Nix, a day after Nix fouled a ball of his left eye and needed micro surgery that will keep him out the remainder of the Olympics.

[Andy Bennett]

Is it going on at the moment? I ask because I can't find any coverage of it at all over here.

[riverplate]

Results:

August 16
USA 5, Canada 4
Cuba 1, Taiwan 0
Netherlands 6, China 4
South Korea 5, Japan 3

August 17
South Korea 1, China 0
(makeup of rainout)

Standings:
Cuba: 4-0
South Korea: 4-0
USA: 2-2
Japan: 2-2
Netherlands: 1-3
Taiwan: 1-3
Canada: 1-3
China: 1-3

[riverplate]

U.S. routs China in game featuring beanball, 3 ejections (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/baseball/recap?gameId=646) - ESPN

CHINA_ 000 000 001 1
USA___ 100 031 400 9

BEIJING (AP) -- The U.S. baseball team beat China 9-1 in a game that featured three ejections. Jake Arrieta struck out seven in six shutout innings Monday night and Taylor Teagarden and Nate Schierholtz each hit two-run doubles for the U.S.

China's top player, catcher Wang Wei, was knocked out of the game with a left knee injury following a collision at the plate with Matt LaPorta in the fifth.

After Schierholtz made a hard slide home against backup catcher Yang Yang on a sacrifice fly in the sixth -- and Yang was held back from Schierholtz by teammates -- China manager Jim Lefebvre was ejected for arguing about the rough play. Chinese reliever Chen Kun and China pitching coach Steven Ontiveros were tossed when Chen plunked LaPorta in the head to start the seventh.

[riverplate]

Results:

August 18
Japan 1, Canada 0
South Korea 9, Taiwan 8
Cuba 14, Netherlands 3
USA 9, China 1

Standings:
Cuba: 5-0
South Korea: 5-0
USA: 3-2
Japan: 3-2
Netherlands: 1-4
Taiwan: 1-4
Canada: 1-4
China: 1-4

[riverplate]

LaPorta day to day after suffering mild concussion (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/baseball/news/story?id=3541923) - ESPN

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Indians say top prospect Matt LaPorta is day to day with the U.S. baseball team in Beijing after he was hit in the head by a pitch in a game against China. The outfielder was taken to a hospital on Monday for tests that came back negative.

China's top player, catcher Wang Wei, was knocked out of the game with a knee injury following a collision at the plate with LaPorta in the fifth inning. Another hard slide at home by a U.S. player increased tensions in the sixth.

Chinese reliever Chen Kun was ejected when he beaned LaPorta in the seventh. The U.S. team beat China 9-1.

The U.S. Olympic Committee says LaPorta has a mild concussion. The outfielder was traded from Milwaukee to Cleveland last month in the CC Sabathia deal.

[riverplate]

Results:

August 19
Canada 4, Netherlands 0
South Korea 7, Cuba 4
Japan 10, China 0
USA 4, Taiwan 2

Standings:
South Korea: 6-0
Cuba: 5-1
USA: 4-2
Japan: 4-2
Canada: 2-4
China: 1-5
Netherlands: 1-5
Taiwan: 1-5

[riverplate]

Results:

August 20
Cuba 17, China 1
South Korea 10, Netherlands 0
Taiwan 6, Canada 5
USA 4, Japan 2

Standings:
South Korea: 7-0
Cuba: 6-1
USA: 5-2
Japan: 4-3
Canada: 2-5
Taiwan: 2-5
China: 1-6
Netherlands: 1-6

The Semifinals will be played on Friday:
South Korea vs. Japan
Cuba vs. USA

Baseball Semifinal Preview: North America and Asia choose the best of the best (http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/headlines/baseball/n214569029.shtml) - Beijing 2008 Olympics website

[riverplate]

Cuba heads to gold-medal game; U.S. vs. Japan for bronze (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/baseball/recap?gameId=831) - ESPN

USA__ 000 110 000 2
CUBA_ 002 101 060 10

BEIJING (AP) -- The U.S. baseball team will find no gold in Beijing. And Cuba is back in a place it knows so well -- playing for another Olympic title.

Alexei Bell hit a three-run homer in the eighth to put the punctuation mark on the Cubans' 10-2 rout of the United States on Friday night. He raised his hand to signal No. 1 while rounding the bases, then Ariel Pestano added his own three-run shot three batters later to seal it.

Alfredo Despaigne hit his second homer against the Americans this tournament and Frederich Cepeda also connected.

[riverplate]

Semifinal results:

August 22
Cuba 10, USA 2
South Korea 6, Japan 2

On Saturday:
Gold medal game- South Korea (8-0) vs. Cuba (7-1)
Bronze medal game- USA (5-3) vs. Japan (4-4)

[riverplate]

Donald's homer in 5th caps U.S.'s bronze-medal rally (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/baseball/recap?gameId=835) - ESPN

JAPAN_ 103 000 000 4
USA___ 013 040 000 8


BEIJING (AP) -- Taylor Teagarden hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the fifth and Jason Donald followed with a two-run homer off the left-field foul pole, lifting the United States to an 8-4 victory over Japan on Saturday.

Brett Anderson allowed Norichika Aoki's go-ahead three-run homer in the top of the third but settled down and held the Japanese in check the rest of the way. Kevin Jepsen pitched a scoreless ninth but had the bases loaded when Shinnosuke Abe grounded out to first to end it.

After Aoki's homer, U.S. cleanup hitter Matt Brown answered with his own three-run shot in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 4.