U.S. needs more pop from middle of lineup
Team USA managed only six base knocks in its World Baseball Classic opener. Will Jim Leyland’s crew be able to beef up the offense when the Dominican Republic comes calling this evening?
The two countries collide at 6:30 p.m. ET, with Marlins Park serving as the backdrop for Pool C’s most highly anticipated matchup. Online sports book Bovada.lv lists the Dominicans as 1.5-run favorites, whereas the U.S. represents a -105 underdog. The over/under total sits at nine runs.
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Adam Jones’ two-out single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Americans to a 3-2 victory against Colombia yesterday. The United States didn’t record a hit until the sixth, though, confounded by Jose Quintana’s well-rounded repertoire. In fact, the much-ballyhooed heart of Leyland’s order – Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and Buster Posey – combined to go 0-for-9.
Undoubtedly, that won’t fly vs. Tony Pena’s club. The DR handed Canada a 9-2 loss two nights ago. Starter Carlos Martinez yielded one unearned run across four frames, while Jose Bautista performed the heavy lifting at the plate. The longtime Toronto stalwart broke the game open with a titanic homer in the sixth and added an RBI single.
If the Americans can somehow spring the upset shortly, they’ll advance to the second round in San Diego as a top seed. Yet we’re unsure about Marcus Stroman’s ability to neutralize Bautista, Manny Machado, Robinson Cano and countless others. Look for the Dominican Republic to prevail in a tight affair.
SATURDAY WBC PICK: UNITED STATES/DOMINICAN REPUBLIC UNDER 9 RUNS