WBC Qualifier 2: Mexico routs Nicaragua for spot in final

In the night cap of the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Mexicali, Mexico took on Nicaragua and proved to be way too strong for the small neighbour. The fact that Mexico scored the first nine runs on only three hits, shows the balance of power in this game. 

   Nicaragua   0   –   11   Mexico   

The night started lousy for Nicaragua as it became clear that Thursday night’s game winner Alex Blando wasn;t in the lineup due to an injury. Apparently this hit team Nicaragua mentally as not much went right.

Nicaragua had a chance to get on the board in the first inning, if not Darrell Campbell had made a base running boner. With Campbell on second, Jairo Beras hit the ball towards third baseman Augustin Murillo, who was playing deep. Campbell overran third base and was tagged out by Murillo while diving back.

Pitcher Carlos Teller needed 33 pitches to get out of the first inning but by then Mexico scored two runs already, but only on one hit, three walks and a throwing error.

In the next inning Teller only faced one more hitter; Alex Mejia, who drew a walk. Teller’s successor, Kevin Gaeda did not fare much better as he started his outing with giving up a walk. Eventually Mexico scored two more on one hit, the aforementioned walk, a wild pitch and a ground out.

In a disastrous fourth inning, Mexico added five more runs to their score and added two more in the sixth to finish the game in seven mercy rule innings.

Nicaragua wasn’t quite outhit by Mexico as the royal blue collected four hits vs the five of Mexico. But as mentioned before the pitching gave up seven walks and was not supported by its defense as three errors were made by Nicaragua.

Stephen Landazuri got the W after pitching four innings in which he gave up only one run and struck out four.

Carlos Teller took the loss. In just 1 inning and one batter, he gave up three runs on one hit, walked four and struck out one.

Best hitter for Mexico wasn’t Adrian Gonzalez as one might expect. Gonzalez did not get a hit, but managed to drive in a run with a 4-3 ground out. Augustin Murillo had the honor of being the best hitter for Mexico, collecting two hits out of four at bats. He drove in two runs.

Today, Mexico has the privilege to rest on its laurels as Nicaragua has to face the Czech Republic that stunned the Germans by routing them 15-3.