Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Monday 13 March 2017

U.S. team advances in WBC by beating Canada 8-0

STEVEN WINE something to cheer about
AP Sports Writer from the start. Canada
MIAMI (AP) — Nolan Are- starter Ryan Dempster,
nado and Buster Posey who came out of retire-
homered and drove in ment to pitch in the WBC,
three runs apiece to help recorded just two outs and
the United States earn a lasted only two-thirds of an
berth in the second round inning and was charged
of the World Baseball Clas- with three runs.
sic with an 8-0 victory Eric Hosmer hit a two-run
against Canada on Sun- double in the first inning to
day night. put the Americans ahead,
The Americans finished 2-1 and another run scored on
in pool play and bounced Posey’s groundout.
back from a tough loss After Adam Jones and
Saturday, when they blew Christian Yelich hit con-
a five-run lead and were secutive singles in the sec-
beaten by the Dominican ond, Arenado homered to
Republic 7-5. make it 6-0. It was the first
The U.S. team failed to homer for the Americans in
reach the final in the three the tournament.
previous WBCs. Posey hit a solo homer in
The Dominicans also ad- United States’ Adam Jones, left, and Christian Yelich (7) congratulate teammate Nolan Arenado the seventh.
vanced to the second (12) after hitting a three-run home run against Canada in the second inning in a first-round game Posey, Yelich, Jones, Hos-
round in San Diego by of the World Baseball Classic, Sunday, March 12, 2017, in Miami. mer and Brandon Craw-
beating Colombia 10-3 Associated Press ford had two hits apiece.q
in 11 innings Sunday. The
Dominicans, who won the innings in their starts.
2013 tournament, finished The Americans’ relievers Indian Wells
3-0 in the first round. combined for five shutout
Canada went 0-3. innings after giving up nine Continued from page 17
Danny Duffy became the runs in 9 1/3 innings in the
third consecutive U.S. start- first two games. Djokovic has won the tro-
er to turn in a scoreless out- Tyler Clippard retired all six phy at Indian Wells a total
ing. He struck out seven in batters he faced, striking of five times, Federer four,
four innings, and the only out four. and Nadal three.
baserunners against him The crowd of 22,303 was Djokovic, owner of 12 ma-
were Jonathan Malo and smaller and more subdued jor titles, next faces 2009
Peter Orr on consecutive than for the games involv- U.S. Open champion Juan
two-out singles in the third. ing the Dominican Repub- Martin del Potro, who
Duffy, Chris Archer and lic, but there was some beat the Serb in a thrilling
Marcus Stroman com- flag-waving and chanting match at the Rio de Ja-
bined for 12 2/3 scoreless for the U.S. team. neiro Olympics last year.
The home team gave fans In other matches Sunday,
No. 4 Kei Nishikori topped champion Garbine Mu-
Dan Evans 6-3, 6-4, No. guruza 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Day is
12 Grigor Dimitrov elimi- ranked 175th, Muguruza is
nated Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, ranked No. 7.
6-0, and No. 18 Alexander Elsewhere, 11th-seeded Jo-
Zverev got past Facundo hanna Konta was edged
by No. 21 Caroline Garcia
Bagnis 7-6 (10), 6-3. 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1), two-time
In women’s third-round ac- major champion Svetlana
tion, 17-year-old American Kuznetsova beat No. 26
wild-card entry Kayla Day Roberta Vinci 6-2, 2-6, 6-1,
nearly pulled off a major and No. 15 Timea Bacsin-
budgetaruba@setarnet.aw upset but eventually lost szky defeated No. 18 Kiki
to reigning French Open Bertens 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (8).q