#118---US @ NYA, 3/3/3009 (World Baseball Classic Exhibition)

Remember that time Derek Jeter played against the Yankees, for the yanks? Here it is, an exhibition played between the 2009 US WBC team and the eventual world champion 2009 Yankees in Tampa. Jeter hit into a very Jeterian double play on a grounder to second in the first, but drove in two runs on a single up the middle in the third, reached and scored on a Jeterian infield hit to second in the sixth, walked in the seventh, and struck out in the ninth.

Most of the action came in the sixth, with the US extending a 2-1 lead by plating four in the top of the inning, and the Yankees countering with three in the bottom to reach the final score of 6-4. The US rally was a station-to-station affair against a New York hurler I have no recollection of, Hacker (Apparently Eric Hacker, a righty would make his MLB debut that year with Pittsburgh and go on to have brief appearances with Minnesota in 2011 and San Francisco in 2012. So at least he got a ring out of the deal despite only making nine major league appearances). The Yankee rally was punctuated by a two-run double by Nick Swisher.

#117—Panama v. Brazil, 11/19/2012 (WBC Qualifier)

With the fourth (and hopefully not last) installment of the World Baseball Classic fast approaching, the next several scoresheets will be from the WBC. I start with this qualifier, played between favored Panama and Brazil in Panama City, with the winner qualifying for the 2013 WBC field. Panama had participated in the first two WBCs without having to qualify, but had failed to win a game (0-5). Brazil was seeking its first appearance.

It turned out to be a well-played, quick-paced, exciting game. The first scoring threat came suddenly in the top of the third; with two outs an a man at first, a muffed catch by Brazil’s second baseman allowed the runner to get to third, but he was thrown out in a rundown between third and home trying to score. In the bottom of the inning, Brazil used four straight singles to station-to-station home a run. In the thick of it were the two recognizable names on the Brazilian team, Paulo Orlando and Yan Gomes. Panama wouldn’t threaten again until the ninth, when they got national hero Carlos Lee to the plate with one out and runners on the corners. But Lee and former megaprospect Ruben Rivera struck out, and Brazil qualified for the WBC where they would go 0-3 against China, Cuba, and Japan.

#116---CLE @ SEA, 4/10/2011

The Indians were playing well at the start of the 2011 season under first-year manager Manny Acta. After losing their first two contests to the White Sox, the Indians had won six in a row heading into this Sunday series finale at Safeco Field. They jumped all over Erik Bedard, plating six in his four innings of work, including homers from Asdrubal Cabrera and Jack Hannahan. After Bedard got the hook, David Pauley, Jamey Wright, and Brandon League combined to toss five nearly perfect relief innings, an eighth inning single by Orlando Cabrera the only blemish.

Josh Tomlin held Seattle to just one run over six frames, but things got dicey in the seventh when Ryan Langerhans clubbed a two-run homer and Michael Saunders greeted reliever Chad Durbin with a solo shot. After Durbin surrendered a single to once-and-future-and-future Indian Chris Gimenez, Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp, and Chris Perez combined to retire the last seven Mariner batters and give the Tribe a seven game winning streak.

#115---MIN @ TOR, 5/18/2010

Apparently I had nothing better to do on a Tuesday afternoon in May then to watch an afternoon tilt between the Twins and Blue Jays. It turned out to be about as exciting of a game as the description would suggest. Toronto hit Carl Pavano hard, scoring six in the first four frames, while Shawn Marcum held Minnesota to just one run in seven innings. Of note here is Jose Bautista, about to have a breakout season (but 0-3 with a hit batter in this game) and Edwin Encarnacion (two run homer) batting seventh and eighth in the Jays lineup.