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No Mercy: Puerto Rico Routs U.S.

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The Associated Press

Published: March 14, 2009

MIAMI - Jake Peavy lasted only two innings, and Team USA could soon be gone, too.

With an embarrassing 11-1 loss to Puerto Rico that was stopped early because of the mercy rule, the Americans are once again on the ropes in Round 2 of the World Baseball Classic.

Carlos Beltran and Felipe Lopez homered, and Puerto Rico rocked Peavy for six runs to send the U.S. team into the losers' bracket. The Americans face the Netherlands in an elimination game tonight.

Ivan Rodriguez, playing in Miami for the first time since he helped the Marlins win the 2003 World Series, went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI to hike his WBC average to .600 (9-for-15). The game ended in the seventh inning because of the tournament's 10-run rule.

The Americans were eager to make amends for a humiliating eighth-place finish in the inaugural WBC three years ago, and they came into the tournament considered a strong contender for the title. But now they're in danger of repeating their second-round exit in 2006.

Puerto Rico advances to a winners' bracket game Monday against Venezuela, which beat the Dutch 3-1 in the first game Saturday.

Manager Davey Johnson unexpectedly rejoined Team USA and watched with a grimace as the Americans quickly fell behind. He had been scheduled to miss the game for the wedding of his stepson in St. Petersburg, with bench coach Barry Larkin filling in as interim manager.

Mark DeRosa was a late fill-in for reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia, placed on the disabled list for the second round Saturday because of a strained muscle on his left side.

With the score 7-1, Beltran homered off Matt Thornton to start the seventh. Lopez doubled home a run and Mike Aviles hit a two-out, two-run single to end the game.

VENEZUELA WINS: Miguel Cabrera and Jose Lopez each had solo home runs to power Venezuela to a 3-1 win against the Netherlands in the second round of the World Baseball Classic.

Cabrera reached back to his Florida Marlins' days with a line drive over the left-center field wall in the fourth that gave Venezuela the lead for good.

BREWERS: Manager Ken Macha said outfielder Mike Cameron (rib cage strain) hit off a tee and threw some after being injured during a drill Thursday.

YANKEES: A.J. Burnett threw four perfect innings in New York's 3-1 split-squad win against the Houston Astros.

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