Sept. 15, 2009

Smoak Homers Again as Team USA Tops Japan 4-2

Justin Smoak (left) hit his sixth homer in six games as Team USA defeated Japan 4-2 to stay undefeated in Round 2 of the 2009 IBAF Baseball World Cup in front of a sellout crowd of 1,900 at Stadio Comunale in Macerata, Italy.

Smoak’s two-run shot in the third put the U.S. ahead to stay. Terry Tiffee followed with a solo blast to make it 3-0. Trevor Plouffe added an RBI double in the seventh for Team USA (3-0, 5-1).

Japan (1-1, 3-2) tallied single runs in the eighth and ninth. Japan outhit the U.S. 9-4.

Brad Lincoln (1-0) allowed one run with no walks and five strikeouts in 7.1 innings. Nate Field recorded his first save for the U.S.

Smoak tied the USA Baseball World Cup record for home runs by an individual player in a tournament. Tino Martinez belted six at the 1988 Baseball World Cup.

Team USA will have an off day on Wednesday before meeting Chinese Taipei on Thursday at Stadio Paschetto Baseball 1 in Torino, Italy. Todd Redmond (1-0) is scheduled to start on the mound for the U.S.

9/14/09: Smoak Homers Twice as Team USA Wins 11-1

9/13/09: Team USA Opens Round 2 with Shutout of Canada

9/12/09: Team USA Blanks China to Advance to Round 2

9/11/09: Redmond, Team USA Shut Down Germany

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

Official Website of 2009 Baseball World Cup

(photo by BrianFlemingPhotography.com)