Arrieta helps lead Team USA to championship game
8/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Aug. 15, 2006
SAN JOSE, Cuba - Jake Arrieta tossed 4.2 innings in his final appearance for Team USA on Monday afternoon, helping lead the squad to the championship game against Chinese Taipei on Tuesday night. Arrieta made six starts for Team USA this summer, going 4-0 in 33.2 innings pitched. He allowed three runs and only one earned run in those innings, while striking out 34 batters.The National Team (27-2-1) remains undefeated in the tourney at 7-0 and will face Chinese Taipei in the tournament championship game Tuesday night at 8:45 p.m. ET at Latino Stadium in Havana. The US will look to defend its Gold Medal won in 2004 in Taiwan.
J.P. Arencibia continued his torrid tournament run at the plate with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to give the US a 2-0 lead. It was his eighth homer of the summer and third of the tourney. He has 20 RBI in the seven games in Cuba. Pedro Alvarez (Vanderbilt) had a bloop single with two outs prior to Arencibia's blast to left field.
Jake Arrieta (TCU) had a no-hitter going until he ran into trouble in the fifth. Hidetoshi Tsuburaya walked to lead off the inning and then moved to second on a chopper to the catcher. Daisuke Tanaka then broke up the no-hitter with a single up the middle that advanced Tsuburaya to third. He then scored on a grounder to second by Noriharu Yamazaki to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Arrieta gave up one run, his first of the summer, on one hit in 4.2 innings with five walks and a strikeout in the no decision.
Julio Borbon (Tennessee) got the run back in the bottom of the sixth with a solo line drive homer to right field, his fourth of the summer and second of the championships.
The USA then iced the game with two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-1.Borbon singled and advanced to second on a balk to lead off the frame. Jemile Weeks (Miami) then brought him home with a single to left field. Alvarez capped off the inning with a RBI triple to right-center.
Rice's Cole St. Clair (4-0) was outstanding in relief to pick up his fourth win of the summer. He came on in relief of Arrieta in the fifth and pitched 3.1 innings of two-hit shutout relief. St. Clair struck out six with just one walk in the outing. Daniel Moskos (Clemson) closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Takayuki Kishi (1-1) was charged with the loss after giving up three runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings with five strikeouts and a walk. Alvarez led the US with three hits, while Borbon and Preston Clark (Texas) came through with two hits each to help lead the 10 hit attack.
Courtesy of USA Baseball
