WBC 2017 GameThread: U.S.A. vs Dominican Republic from Petco Park...

When they met up in the First Round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic in Miami, FL’s Marlins Park last Saturday, the United States dropped a 7-5 decision to the Dominican Republic, giving up seven unanswered runs after building up a 5-0 lead.

Tonight, in San Diego, CA’s Petco Park, the U.S. and Dominican Republic meet again in a win-or-go-home WBC matchup, with the winner moving on to play Japan in LA’s Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night.

“It's pretty simple,” Team USA Manager Jim Leyland told reporters when asked for his thoughts on tonight’s game after last night’s loss to Puerto Rico. “We've got to win a game. We know that. There's no secrets to it.”

Leyland is sending Kansas City Royals’ left-hander Danny Duffy to the mound against Minnesota Twins’ right-hander Ervin Santana tonight in a sold-out Petco Park.

Duffy, 28, tossed four scoreless, striking out seven batters in a 63-pitch, 41-strike effort in the U.S.A.’s 8-0 win over Canada last weekend in Miami.

Santana, 34, makes his first start in the WBC after previously declining an invitation to pitch for the Dominican Republic in the First Round of the tournament.

Duffy talked before last night’s loss about how much has been made about those who are not participating in the WBC for the U.S. and whether or not it motivates him and the other American starters (like Chris Archer, Marcus Stroman and Drew Smyly) to show everyone what they can do?

“It's hard for me to speak to that because I can't even sit at the same lunch table as some of those guys,” Duffy said.

“I just tried to fill in wherever I can and do my job. I've been feeding off Archer, and Stroman, and obviously Smyly had a heck of a game the other day.

“You know, when I got invited here I just, you know, figured it was a huge honor, and if you're here, it means you're good enough to be here, and that's enough for me.”

Duffy will try to lead the U.S. to the WBC semi-finals, but he and his fellow American teammates will have to get by a tough opponent in the Dominican Republic tonight.

Here’s the U.S. lineup for tonight’s game in Petco Park: