Steve Webb
PHOENIX, AZ — In a great start to pool play in Phoenix, Team Mexico found themselves in a tight battle with Colombia. This game was the first action for any Dodgers in the WBC. Julio Urías was perfect for the first four innings, but got into trouble in the fifth and wound up with a no-decision. Austin Barnes got a couple of knocks as the familiar battery mate of Urias. However, it was all for naught, as a costly extra-inning error from shortstop Luis Urias led to a 5-4 victory for Colombia.
For the first four innings, Urías was perfect, twelve up, twelve down, dealing what looked like mid-season form. The fifth was a bridge too far at this early stage in the season. Julio just didn’t have it in this frame and got banged around pretty good. The Dodgers’ lefty gave up back to back doubles to big-leaguers Jorge Alfaro and Elias Diaz to get Colombia on the board, and then a two-run jack from Reynaldo Rodriguez put team Mexico in a 1-3 hole. They were able to climb on in the very next at-bat, but Urías’s day was over. His final line for the day: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 6 K. A good spring training start, but not what the heavily Mexican partisan crowd had been hoping for when they entered the ballpark.
Austin Barnes, who has Mexican roots on his mom’s side, had his moments as well, although not all great. He got a single in the 7th and a nice two-out double in the 9th to finish the day 2-for-4, but Team Mexico was unable to capitalize on any of Barnes’s knocks, leaving him stranded both times. However, there was a bit of a scary moment earlier in the game when Barnes went down for a good long time after taking a foul ball off his throat area. Luckily, Barnesy was able to stay in the ballgame, but every GM in MLB saw that moment and started praying that their superstars will make it through the tournament unscathed.
Mexico’s next test will be against the stacked Team USA, so they are now in real danger of not even making it to the knockout round. Should be interesting to see how the rest of the tournament goes. Mookie Betts and Team USA on the other hand were in action on Saturday against Great Britain in what will probably amount to a tune-up for the Mexico game.
Great game, though. Good fan energy, and great to see the players so into it as well.
