Team USA Lives To Bat Another Day, Ousts Holland

Team USA may have lost Chipper Jones and Dustin Pedroia for the rest of the tourney, but replacement Brian Roberts contributed immediately and teamed with shortstop Jimmy Rollins to pace Team USA to a 9-3 victory.

Rollins drove in four runs with a 2-4 night, including a two-run shot in the second inning, an RBI triple and a sacrifice fly. Brian Roberts reached base in all five of his plate appearances and scored two runs. He had a double and triple in his 3-3 night. Adam Dunn and Ryan Braun each had two hits for Team USA. One of Dunn's hits was a home run to straight-away center field in the sixth inning.

Roy Oswalt started for the United States and pitched four scoreless innings. He allowed five hits and left the bases loaded in the third; he also struck out five hitters and didn't walk a single batter. LaTroy Hawkins, Scot Shields and Johnathan Broxton all had scoreless innings for the United States.

The Netherlands had four players with two hits each; the team matched Team USA in the hit column 12-12. Bryan Engelhardt hit the Netherlands' only home run of the tournament off of Matt Lindstrom in the eighth inning. Because he appeared to admire his home run, Lindstrom threw a foot behind the next batter, Vince Rooi, on the next pitch. The Netherlands' players and coaches, naturally, did not take kindly to this and they came out of the dugout. Things settled down, and no further retaliation occured.

The United States will play another elimination game against Puerto Rico Tuesday evening. The winner will advance to the WBC semifinals with Venezuela. A game will be played with Team Venezuela for seeding purposes, like the previous round.

THREE STARS

FIRST STAR
SS Jimmy Rollins, United States - 2-4, 3B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI

SECOND STAR
2B Brian Roberts, United States - 3-3, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 BB, RBI

THIRD STAR
P Roy Oswalt, United States - 4 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO