Instead of going for the boring Title of "WBC Game Recap: blah blah blah", this game recap deserves to be unique. 10 points to anyone who thought Canada is going to beat the Americans in WBC. It was only earlier today that I wrote "Team USA with their offensive firepower and a pitching staff that is skillful and deep, is the obvious favourite within this pool." I certainly didn't foresee this victory. With that said, here is today's boxscore.
W: Loewen (1-0)
L: Willis (0-1)
10 more points to anyone who has heard of the Canadian pitchers who in most cases shut down the American offense. The most well known of the bunch is probably Adam Loewen, the fourth overall pick of the 2002 amateur draft; while he had never pitched above A-ball, he managed to hold the star-studded American lineup scoreless for 3 2/3 innings. Following Loewen was a quartet of career minor leaguer/fringe pitching prospects (Chris Begg, Eric Cyr, Scott Mathieson and Steve Green) who pitched like major league studs and sealed the deal for Canada. Let's take a look at some quick facts here, between the five Canadian pitchers who appeared in the game, they have pitched in a whooping 6 games and logged a Livan Hernandezesque 12 innings in total. The American lineup on the other hand featured an All-Star in every position except for second base (Chase Utley), and even their reserves are All-Stars. There is not much more I can say other than be in awe of there performance, congratulations on a job well done!
One more trivia question, 10 points to the person who knows who Adam Stern is? Unless you are a dedicated Red Sox fan, you probably don't. Stern had 15ABs with the Red Sox last season and that makes up the entirity of his major league experience. This season, he is vying for a spot as a backup outfielder on the Red Sox roster. Although he is only a little known fringe major league outfielder, he will now be recognized as the offensive star for Canada in the WBC. Stern, the number 9 hitter for Canada, went 3 for 4 with 4 RBIs in his impressive offensive performance against the Americans, who was a double short of hitting the cycle. Although much of the ink has been used on Stern, the Canadian offence, was however, not a one man show. The 8-run, 13-hit output was definitely a team effort.
Next up: Mexico. Hopefully the Canadians can maintain their momentum from last night's upset with a victory against Mexico today. The game is scheduled for 8pm EST, and it will be nationally televised. Be sure to tune in and cheer on the Great White North.