Upset of the century!!

Yanny - i figured you might find this interesting . . . .
Canada stuns U.S. at WBC
WebPosted Wed, 08 Mar 2006 19:31:50 EST
CBC Sports
Canada pulled off a shocker at the World Baseball Classic, riding the arm of Adam Loewen to an 8-6 victory over the powerful United States.

Canadian left-hander Adam Loewen shut out the United States over 3 2/3 innings on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) 
The Canadians collected 13 hits and chased Florida Marlins starter Dontrelle Willis after taking a 5-0 lead in the third inning at Chase Field in Phoenix on Wednesday.

That was plenty of support for winner Loewen, who pitched more like a seasoned veteran than a left-hander who had never started a game above single-A.

The 21-year-old Baltimore Orioles draft pick shut down a lineup full of major leaguers, blanking the U.S. on three hits over 3 2/3 innings in the preliminary-round game.

“A lot of people questioned why we threw such a young gun into a situation like this,” said Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt. "It’s a coming-out party for Loewen.
“He did a great job and kept us in the game.”

Steve Green, who started last season at double-A Akron, tossed a scoreless ninth inning for his first save.

With the win, Canada sits atop the Group B standings with a 2-0 record.

“We’re going for the No. 1 seed. We’re not going for the consolation prize,” said Canadian outfielder Adam Stern. “We’d like to tell everyone we can play baseball, too. We’re not just a hockey country.”

Trailing 8-6, the U.S. appeared poised to tie the game but Stern robbed Chase Utley of extra bases with a huge glove catch against the centre-field wall.

“I knew he smoked it and I knew it was going deep,” Stern said of his catch in the eighth inning. "I just put my head down, ran to a spot and said, ‘Come on baby, don’t hit that facing.’ "

Canada scored in each of the first five innings and took a seemingly comfortable 5-0 lead in the third on Stern’s two-run single.

Stern increased the margin to 8-0 with an inside-the-park home run to lead off the fifth inning. He missed a double for the cycle, going 3-for-4 with four runs batted in.

The Boston Red Sox prospect also stood out in the field, snaring a sinking liner off the bat of Jeff Francoeur to close out the sixth frame.

A U.S. lineup that earned $88 million US last season touched relievers Chris Begg and Eric Cyr for six runs in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by catcher Jason Varitek’s grand slam.

After that, they were silenced by Cyr, Scott Mathieson and Green, who combined for four runless innings of relief.

“One thing we have learned very quickly in this tournament is anything can happen,” said U.S. manager Buck Martinez.

Jason Bay and Morneau had two hits apiece for the Canadians and also scored on Matt Stairs’s fourth-inning single.

Willis, a 22-game winner last season, took the loss. He walked two, struck out a pair and left the game after reaching the 65-pitch limit.

Colorado Rockies lefty Jeff Francis of Vancouver gets the start for Canada against Mexico on Thursday at 8 p.m. EST. The U.S. is off until Friday when it plays South Africa.

A loss could potentially leave Canada in a three-way tie with the Mexicans and Americans, both 1-1.

Under the tiebreaker system, the only way Canada could advance to Sunday’s second round is if they allowed two runs or less to Mexico. The U.S. would be eliminated under that scenario.

@Guerrilla:

yeah brag, brag, brag… we still came up with it… at least on a national level…

yeah . . . cricket and rounders are more on an international level . . .  :-P

@MuthaRussia:

Guys…how can you even argue this? Thats like saying my team can breathe under water better than yours can fly…

Both teams suck. USA baseball isnt ANYTHING, I repeat ANYTHING without latin america. :roll:
I hate to say this, but it’s true.

There may be something to this . . . .
Yesterday we lost to Mexico (9-1).

Go South Africa!!!