Sept. 11, 2009

Redmond, Team USA Shut Down Germany

Todd Redmond did not allow a base-runner until the seventh, and Ike Davis was one of four to homer as Team USA rebounded to top Germany 9-1 Friday in Pool E play of the 2009 IBAF Baseball World Cup in front of 9,600 fans at Armin-Wolf Baseball Stadium in Regensburg, Germany.

Redmond (1-0) allowed two hits in eight scoreless innings for Team USA (1-1). He did not walk a batter and struck out seven. Redmond surrendered his first hit with two outs in the seventh.

Davis went 3 for 5 with a triple and a home run. His dinger in the second put the U.S. on the scoreboard. Buck Coats reached four times from the leadoff spot. He had two hits, including a homer, two walks, two runs and two RBI. Justin Smoak (left) went deep for the third time in two games. Trevor Plouffer also homered for Team USA.

The United States scored three in the third, three in the sixth and two in the eighth in building a 9-0 lead. Germany (1-1) tallied an unearned run in the ninth.

Team USA will face China (0-2) in its final first-round game on Saturday, while Germany will meet Venezuela (2-0). Venezuela overwhelmed China 17-2 in five innings Friday.

The top two from each of the five pools will join Italy and the Netherlands in the second round, along with the best four third-place teams for a total of 16 teams. Each team will play round-robin in one of two eight-team pools in the second round. The top four from each of these two pools advance to the third round.

9/10/09: Team USA Falls to Venezuela in 11 Innings

Official Website of 2009 Baseball World Cup

(photo by BrianFlemingPhotography.com)