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U.S. Rallies Late Vs. Puerto Rico

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 18, 2009

MIAMI - Hobbled and humbled in the World Baseball Classic, Team USA is still swinging.

David Wright hit a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a three-run rally Tuesday night, and the injury-plagued Americans qualified for this weekend's semifinals with a 6-5 win over Puerto Rico.

Wright's hit eliminated Puerto Rico from the tournament.

It was an especially sweet victory for the U.S. after Saturday's embarrassment against Puerto Rico that triggered the mercy rule when the Americans fell 10 runs behind, ending the game in the seventh inning.

This time they played a full nine, saving their best for last in the 3-hour, 54-minute marathon.

Trailing 5-3, Team USA began its rally when Shane Victorino and Brian Roberts singled to the start the ninth against J.C. Romero (1-1). Derek Jeter flied out, Roberts stole second and Jimmy Rollins walked on a 3-2 pitch.
Fernando Cabrera came on to pitch, and he walked Kevin Youkilis to force in a run.

Wright then lined a 2-1 pitch just inside the right-field line, raising his fist when the ball dropped in. The New York Mets star was mobbed by teammates near second base after two runs scored.

The clutch hit came after the Americans stranded seven runners in scoring position in the first eight innings.

LEGAL: Lawyers for Roger Clemens asked a federal judge to reconsider his decision dismissing most of a defamation suit the pitcher filed against his former personal trainer over allegations of performance-enhancing drug use.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison dropped most of Clemens' lawsuit against Brian McNamee on Feb. 12, saying statements McNamee made to baseball investigator George Mitchell were protected.

McNamee told federal agents, Mitchell and a House of Representatives committee that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and human growth hormone from 1998 to 2001.

In a filing Monday, Clemens' lawyers asked Ellison to examine whether he was wrong in holding McNamee's statements to Mitchell were absolutely privileged and whether Ellison was wrong in deciding McNamee's statements to Clemens' former New York Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte about Clemens using drugs weren't slanderous.

CUBS: Carlos Zambrano allowed three runs over five innings, but got them all back and then some himself with a three-run homer in the second inning and an RBI double in the fourth to help Chicago roll to a 12-3 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

DODGERS: Manager Joe Torre said it was a mistake to put Manny Ramirez in the outfield last weekend and that his star slugger will be restricted to hitting when he first returns to exhibition play.

PHILLIES: Pitcher Cole Hamels will return to camp after a team physician found no damage in his sore left elbow.

General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. says Michael Ciccotti reported no structural damage to the joint after looking at the left-hander's pitching elbow Tuesday in Philadelphia.

RED SOX: Shortstop Julio Lugo has undergone arthroscopic surgery in Boston on his right knee.

The team's medical director, Thomas Gill, performed the procedure to repair a torn meniscus cartilage. Lugo is expected to be out for three to four weeks.

ROYALS: Signed pitcher Sidney Ponson to a minor-league contract.

YANKEES: Mariano Rivera struck out two during a perfect fifth inning in his first game since undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and the New York Yankees beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-2.

LABOR: Former major-league pitchers Rick Helling and Mike Myers have been hired as special assistants to union head Donald Fehr. The ex-pitchers are former members of the union's executive board.

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