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Game 21 : Australia - U.S.A.
Monday 5 September 2005, 19.00 h
USA Remains Undefeated
In World Cup Play
Power arms carried Team USA to an Olympic gold medal in 2000
USA Baseball’s World Cup team is hoping to ride power bats
to gold in the Netherlands
Team USA rallied from its first deficit of the tournament to
remain undefeated at the 36th World Cup, clubbing four home runs
and beating Australia 6-4 Monday
Catcher Rob Johnson (Mariners) capped a three-run eighth-inning
rally against Australia with a two-run homer to provide the margin
of victory as the Americans moved to 2-0
Team USA also got a pair of solo homers by DH Bryan LaHair (Mariners),
who hit safely in his first six at-bats of the tournament, and
a solo shot from left fielder Jeff Deardorff (Devil Rays)
The Americans had just nine hits against six Australian pitchers
- Paul Mildren (Marlins), Adam Bright (Rockies), Aaron MacKenzie
(Angels), Adrian Burnside (Blue Jays), Tristan Crawford and Phil
Stockman (Diamondbacks) - all of whom pitched in affiliated ball
in 2005
Burnside got the loss after giving up the American rally in the
eighth
Australia had taken a 4-3 lead in the seventh on an RBI triple
by Trent Oeltjen (Twins), who scored the go-ahead run on a wild
pitch by Talley Haines (Cubs)
The U.S. answered as Josh Phelps (Devil Rays) doubled off Burnside
to start the eighth
Burnside fanned LaHair, but Chris Latham (independent Bridgeport)
doubled to score Phelps and tie the game
Burnside struck out Deardorff and was relieved by Crawford, whom
Johnson greeted with the game-winning homer
Haines pitched the bottom of the eighth for the victory and gave
way to righty Chris Mobley (Marlins), who pitched a perfect ninth
for the save
Jason Jacome (Mexican League) got the start for Team USA and lasted
4-2/3 innings, giving up two runs
Australia had just seven hits - including a solo homer by former Marlins and Red Sox
farmhand Brett Roneberg
- but American pitchers issued six walks