In The Spotlight? Under the Microscope?
Adam Dunn...
Bottom of 2nd...1-0 Puerto Rico...
The United States vs Puerto Rico in a WBC Elimination game. David Wright stands at first after a leadoff single. Washington Nationals' outfielder (IF?) Adam Dunn hacks at a fastball from PR starter Jonathan Sanchez, strike one. A fastball inside evens the count at 1-1. Dunn watches an offspeed pitch float wide, 2-1. Dunn two-hops a fastball wide of first, foul ball, 2-2. Slider! Dunn K's as Sanchez's locks up the U.S. slugger...
(ed. note - "Continue reading after the jump...Check back later this afternoon for tonight's game thread, and at 7:05 pm EST it's the Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins live from Space Coast...Who's Watching The Nationals Tonight?")
Adam Dunn...
Bottom of 3rd...Dunn up with a man on again, takes two, and then takes a fastball that finds the outside corner, 2-1 count. A slider from Sanchez backs Dunn off the plate, and falls back in, 2-2. Dunn rips a 2-2 slider, straight back, count holds at 2-2. Sanchez drills Dunn in the spine with a fastbal. Dunn winces. Dunn heads to first as the PR Manager comes to the mound with the quick hook...
"Wild" Joel Hanrahan...
Top of 4th...3-1 U.S. lead...
DC closer and U.S. middle reliever Joel Hanrahan replaces starter Ted Lilly after Lilly had allowed a two-run HR to Carlos Delgado, tying the game at 3-3 with one out in the fourth. Hanrahan gets Alex Rios on three pitches, but walks the next batter, catcher Geovany Soto to put a man on with 2 outs in a tie game. Puerto Rico's 3rd baseman Andy Gonzalez hacks at a 1-0 fastball away to even the count. Slider inside, 2-1 count. Gonzalez pops up a 2-2 fastball. Brian Roberts catches the third out.
Adam Dunn...
Bottom of 6th...4-3 Puerto Rico.
Adam Dunn vs Javier Lopez, a side-slinging-lefty. Lopez gets ahead as Dunn fouls off a first pitch fastball. Slider away, 1-1. A side-arm-slider makes Dunn look awkward. 1-2 count. A slider away from Lopez evens the count at 2-2. Dunn K's looking at a 2-2 slider...
Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera...
Bottom of 7th...4-3 Puerto Rico.
Saul “Sa-ool” Rivera comes on with men on first and third and two outs in the US 7th. Rivera starts The Sox' Kevin Youkilis with a fastball for a strike before dropping a bender a few feet out in front of the plate, under Youk’s bat. Rivera tries the old fake to third, fake to first, but doesn’t throw to first, go figure...Youk fouls off a fastball outside. Rivera leaves a fastball a little up in the zone, but Youk just hammers down on it and grounds out to third. Saul Rivera’s perfect WBC continues...
Bottom of 8th...4-3 Puerto Rico...
The Puerto Rican team brings Saul Rivera back out for the 8th (Really?)...Rivera starts David Wright off with a slider outside. Rivera drops one off the plate for a ball, and then comes back over the plate with a tight bender outside that sneaks under Wright's bat. Wright fouls two more off, one over first, and one into the catcher's chest...another 2-2 fastball gets fouled off. Rivera tries to come inside and hangs a slider out over the plate that Wright rips to left for a single...
Nationals vs Nationals...
...Ball inside to Adam Dunn. Saul Rivera gets a big swing from Dunn with a sinking fastball. Rivera finds the zone with a low slider, but it’s called a ball on big tall Dunn. Rivera gets a sharp grounder to first, Delgado fields, throws to second, gets back to the bag, but gets pulled off by the throw, allowing a hustling Dunn to reach safely...
...Rivera vs Mark DeRosa, Granderson on to run for Dunn, Rivera checks him twice at a 1-1 count, then backs DeRosa off the plate witha bender inside. 2-1, fastball high gets popped out of play. Ball three high, full count. Granderson’s running as DeRosa grounds out to first...Rivera's replaced by JC Romero...
US Wins 6-5 on 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth.