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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 12:31 a.m., Saturday, August 16, 2008

U.S. rallies to defeat Canada in baseball, 5-4

By Mark Maloney
McClatchy Newspapers

BEIJING — Terry Tiffee and Brian Barden drove in two runs each Saturday as Team USA rallied from a 4-0 deficit to edge Canada 5-4 at the Wukesong Olympic Baseball Field.

Left-hander Brian Duensing came on in relief, holding the Canadians to a single over the last 3-plus innings.

Both teams came in with 1-2 records, all four losses coming by one run each. With only four of eight teams advancing past round-robin play, a loss would all but eliminate one team. As Canada's Stubby Clapp said afterward, "the stars are gonna have to align right now" if Canada is to reach the semifinals.

Clapp, 35, makes his living as hitting coach for the Lexington Legends, Low-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.

And nearly saved Canada in the top of the ninth. With pinch-runner Brett Lawrie on first, Clapp sent a rocket down the right-field line. A fair ball likely would have been an RBI double. But the ball curved barely foul near the outfield corner.

Moments later, Clapp flied to left, ending the game.

Canada outhit the American 10-9, including three hits by Chris Robinson. Seven of those hits came over the second, third and fourth innings, when Canada scored all of its runs.

Emerson Frotad delivered an RBI double in the second. Clapp singled in the third and scored on Emmanuel Garcia's triple, and Garcia came home on Michael Saunders' slow roller. Matt Rogelstad, who reached on an error, scored Canada's final run, singled in by Adam Stern to make it 4-0 in the middle of the fourth.

Barden, who plays for Cardinals AAA affiliate Memphis, said Team USA never panicked.

"We all knew we needed this game and we get down 4-0," he said. "We got a little fire in our belly, and the coaches got after us after the first couple innings because we weren't having good at-bats."

Coaches Rick Eckstein and Marcel Lachemann being the primary prodders.

""They kind of yelled at us in there and got us going," Barden said. "From that point on, we really had some solid at-bats and we were able to string some things together."

Barden led off the bottom of the fourth with a homer to right, only the second hit allowed by right-hander James Avery.

Two outs later, Giants AAA prospect Nate Schierholtz doubled down the right-field line. Avery beaned Matt LaPorta, who was traded this summer from Milwaukee to Cleveland for C.C. Sabathia. John Gall came through with an RBI single, knocking out Avery.

The Americans pulled to with 4-3, scoring a run in the fifth.

Rockies AA prospect Dexter Fowler reached on a fielder's choice. A groundout moved him to second, and Tiffee, a Dodgers AAA prospect, brought him home with a double to the gap in left-center.

Phillies AA catcher Lou Marson's walk to lead off the seventh triggered the decisive inning. Donald, Marson's teammate at AA Reading, move the runner over with a bunt. One out later, Barden tied it by pulling a double to left.

Barden scored when Tiffee again doubled to left-center.

Barden, Tiffee and Marlins AAA all-star Gall each finished with two hits.

Duensing, a AAA left-hander for the Twins, got his first win of the tournament, finishing what Brett Anderson started.

Chris Reitsma, the third of five Canadian pitchers, took the loss.