Team USA beats Canada 9-4, Moves on to Second Round of WBC

Center fielder Adam Jones and first baseman Eric Hosmer gave David Wright a reprieve from hoisting Team USA on his shoulders and carrying them to the finish line for one day by knocking in a combined six runs in Team USA's 9-4 win over Canada. The victory advanced them to the second round of the World Baseball Classic.

Team USA had dug a fairly large hole for themselves when they dropped the opener to Mexico 5-2, and faced the prospect of elimination after one round unless they topped Italy by more than two runs and won against Canada. A loss to Canada could have meant Team USA would have to qualify for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. When asked about how a loss would have forced them to qualify for the next tournament, USA second baseman Brandon Phillips said, "I would've been embarrassed. USA - this is where baseball started. We've got to represent our country. And if we would've lost, we didn't do our job."

Jones and Hosmer helped Team USA overcome some curious managerial decisions by Joe Torre, namely several bunts by known boppers capable of parking the ball in the stands. Torre had Jones, who hit .287 with 32 home runs and 103 RBI, bunt with runners on first and second with nobody out in the second inning. Team USA failed to score there, but Torre played it the same in the fourth inning when Torre had Ben Zobrist bunt in the same situation. The bunt went for a hit because of a misplay by Canada's third baseman Taylor Green. Torre also called on right-handed relievers Heath Bell, Steve Cishek and David Hernandez to face Canada's lefty-oriented lineup.

Canada took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a Michael Saunders home run off of starter Derek Holland of the Texas Rangers. Team USA tied the score in the fourth inning on Zobrist's bizarre bunt hit and a sacrifice fly by Jones. Canada jumped ahead again in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Adam Loewen. Jones came to the rescue in the eighth inning again, ripping a two-run double. Shane Victorino singled later in the inning to make it 5-3.

Canada made a big push in the bottom of the eighth and drew closer to Team USA on a sacrifice grounder, but Steve Cishek wormed his way out of a bases loaded jam to escape with the 5-4 lead.

Team USA then salted the game away in the ninth with an RBI single by Jonathan Lucroy and a bases loaded double by Hosmer that drove in three runs.