U.S. Team Missing Some Stars Finds Another Hero

[-DarkJesús-]

 

Outfielder Adam Jones stole a home run from the Dominican Republic’s Manny Machado on Saturday in a win-or-go-home second-round game at the World Baseball Classic. 

 

SAN DIEGO — When Manny Machado made contact with the pitch, Tyler Clippard pivoted on the mound to turn toward center field, where the baseball was headed on a powerful arc.

Adam Jones raced toward the warning track in what looked like a futile chase: The heavy marine air would not turn this ball into an out, as it had so many others last week. So it was left to Jones, who leapt at the wall, plucked the ball out of the air as it was about to land in the stands, and brought the crowd at a sold-out Petco Park to its feet.

Clippard thrust his arms skyward and shouted, “Oh, my God!”

Machado, as he reached first base, doffed his cap to Jones, his Baltimore Orioles teammate.

The catch was the latest signature moment by Jones, who delivered a walk-off single against Colombia in the first round of the World Baseball Classic, hit a tying home run in a win over Venezuela on Wednesday and, with his catch, helped lift the United States to a 6-3 victory over the Dominican Republic, the defending champion, on Saturday night.

With the result, the United States advanced to the semifinals for only the second time in the four installments of the W.B.C. In 2009, it lost in the semifinals to Japan — its opponent on Tuesday night, up the road at Dodger Stadium. Puerto Rico will play the Netherlands in the other semifinal, on Monday night, with the two winners meeting on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

There was no shortage of heroes for the United States on Saturday. Shortstop Brandon Crawford cut down a runner at home plate, starting pitcher Danny Duffy extricated himself from an early jam to keep the Americans from being buried, and Giancarlo Stanton hit a blistering two-run homer to give his team the lead for good.

But Jones’s catch stood above the rest — as much for its context as his derring-do. This was not the third inning on a midsummer weeknight in Milwaukee, so Jones saw no need to be bashful about it.

 

The United States’ Eric Hosmer, right, after scoring on a two-run double by Andrew McCutchen in the eighth inning of the game against the Dominican Republic. 

 

 

“I’m still in kind of shock that I even got to that ball,” said Jones, who grew up in San Diego. “I’ve seen the replay after the game; that was one hell of a catch.”

While this year’s W.B.C. has been a broad success, with passionate crowds, engaged players and scintillating games leading to rich story lines, the United States team has been dogged by an unpleasant issue: how many American stars turned down invitations to play.

Each of the last three National League most valuable players — Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw — declined a chance to be part of the United States team, as did the two-time American League M.V.P. Mike Trout.

When a postgame question about whether there was now a sense of vindication was put to Andrew McCutchen, Stanton, Jones and Manager Jim Leyland, it was Leyland who jumped right in.

“We’re not talking about people that graciously declined,” Leyland said. “We have no problem with that; that’s their choice. But I’m talking about our team right now. That’s the only team that I’m talking about, and right now that’s the only team I care about.”

As his manager spoke, Jones shook his fist quietly in support.

The American players have quietly developed an edge as the tournament has progressed. They have had to deal with the fact that their games have been somewhat overlooked in the United States — although certainly not by the announced 43,002 fans who jammed the park on Saturday night — and that their more businesslike approach on the field has been unfavorably contrasted with the unabashed enthusiasm (and the occasional bat flip) of Asian and Latin-American players.

The Americans also chafed at losing to the Dominican Republic in the first round last weekend, unraveling before a fervent, pro-Dominican crowd at Marlins Park in Miami. In that game, the Dominicans rallied from a late five-run deficit, the crowning blow being Nelson Cruz’s home run off the Americans’ top reliever, Andrew Miller.

 

When the United States’ comeback against Puerto Rico fell just short on Friday night, the team was left facing a win-or-go-home second-round rematch against the Dominicans, who had won 11 consecutive games in the W.B.C. before losing to Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

“It’s the reason why we play, man,” first baseman Eric Hosmer said after wrapping up pregame batting practice. “You want to be competitive; you want to be put in these situations. This is what brings out the best in all these players: us against the Dominicans.”

He added, “This is the reason you put in all the work — to be in situations like this.”

Hosmer was a member of the 2013 United States team, which was eliminated in the second round when it lost back-to-back games to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Early on in Saturday’s game, it looked as if a repeat might be in order. The United States, which was in a 4-0 hole before coming to bat against Puerto Rico on Friday night, was fortunate not to be buried early by the Dominicans.

Already down, 2-0, in the first inning, Crawford atoned for an earlier throwing error by nailing Cruz at the plate on a close play. And after Gregory Polanco singled and Welington Castillo doubled to begin the second for the Dominicans, Duffy recovered. He got Jose Reyes to pop up, got Machado to hit a fly ball to shallow center field and retired Robinson Cano, who had doubled home a run in the first, on a grounder.

“Whenever you don’t execute, you pay for it,” said the Dominican manager, Tony Pena, whose team ended up 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

The Americans drew even in the third on an Ian Kinsler groundout and a two-out double from Christian Yelich. They took the lead in the fourth when Crawford singled with two outs and Stanton ripped a pitch from Ervin Santana down the left-field line — a reminder of why he won the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game here last summer.

After Jones stole the home run from Machado, Cano followed by hitting one over the wall in left to cut the Dominican Republic’s deficit to 4-3. But McCutchen doubled home two runs off Alex Colome in the eighth, and the Dominicans never threatened after that.

After Crawford fielded a ground ball from Machado and threw to Hosmer for the final out, Hosmer pumped his fist, and the United States players congregated in the middle of the infield. As Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” blared, their merriment was restrained — a sign, perhaps, that they were planning for bigger celebrations in the days ahead.