August 21, 2008
U.S. prepares to meet Cuba in semis
Collegian Strasburg the likely starter for Team USA
BEIJING -- The U.S. Olympic Baseball Team begins medal round competition on Friday evening (Friday morning in the U.S.) with a semifinal contest versus Cuba scheduled for 6 p.m. local time (6 a.m. EDT) at the Wukesong Main Field. The winner of Friday night's game will advance to the gold-medal final that will be held Saturday night, with first pitch also set for 6 p.m.
The U.S. finished preliminary competition with a 5-2 record and enters medal-round play on a four-game winning streak and as the No. 3 seed. The U.S. is hitting .253 as a team with the pitching staff owning a 2.06 ERA in 65 2/3 innings pitched. The Red, White & Blue has also been stellar with the glove, fielding .986 through the first seven contests.
The 2008 Olympics has been tightly contested as five of the seven games the U.S. has played have been decided by two runs or less.
Team USA and Cuba held a hard-fought game last Friday that saw Cuba edge out the U.S. 5-4 in 11 innings. The game featured the use of the extra inning tiebreaker for the first time and saw the U.S. twice come back from deficits versus the Cubans before eventually falling in the 11th inning.
Since the 1984 Los Angeles Games, the U.S. has won two gold medals (1988, 2000), earned one silver medal (1992) and taken home one bronze medal (1996).
Baseball in Olympics History
<TABLE><TBODY><TR align=middle><TD>Games </TD><TD>Gold</TD><TD>Silver</TD><TD>Bronze</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>1984 Los Angeles*</TD><TD>Japan</TD><TD>United States</TD><TD>Chinese Taipei</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>1988 Seoul*</TD><TD>United States</TD><TD>Japan</TD><TD>Puerto Rico</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>1992 Barcelona</TD><TD>Cuba</TD><TD>Chinese Taipei</TD><TD>Japan</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>1996 Atlanta</TD><TD>Cuba</TD><TD>Japan</TD><TD>United States</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>2000 Sydney</TD><TD>United States</TD><TD>Cuba</TD><TD>Korea</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>2004 Athens</TD><TD>Cuba</TD><TD>Australia</TD><TD>Japan</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Note: Baseball was a demonstration sport in 1984 and 1988. It was not until 1992 that baseball was named an official Olympic medal sport.
2008 Olympic Games Results <TABLE><TBODY><TR align=middle><TD>Date</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Result</TD><TD>Pitcher of Record</TD><TD>Leading Hitter</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 13</TD><TD align=left>vs. Korea</TD><TD>L, 8-7</TD><TD>Stevens (0-1)</TD><TD>Barden (3 hits)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 14</TD><TD align=left>vs. Netherlands</TD><TD>W, 7-0 (8 inn.)</TD><TD>Strasburg (1-0)</TD><TD>Donald (3)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 15</TD><TD align=left>vs. Cuba</TD><TD>L, 5-4 (11 inn.)</TD><TD>Stevens (0-2)</TD><TD>Tiffee (2)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 16</TD><TD align=left>vs. Canada</TD><TD>W, 5-4</TD><TD>Duensing (1-0)</TD><TD>3 players (2)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 18</TD><TD align=left>vs. China</TD><TD>W, 9-1</TD><TD>Arrieta (1-0)</TD><TD>2 players (2)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 19</TD><TD align=left>vs. Chinese Taipei</TD><TD>W, 4-2</TD><TD>Knight (1-0)</TD><TD>Fowler (3)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 20</TD><TD align=left>vs. Japan</TD><TD>W, 4-2 (11 inn.)</TD><TD>Stevens (1-2)</TD><TD>Fowler (2)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
U.S. prepares to meet Cuba in semis
Collegian Strasburg the likely starter for Team USA
BEIJING -- The U.S. Olympic Baseball Team begins medal round competition on Friday evening (Friday morning in the U.S.) with a semifinal contest versus Cuba scheduled for 6 p.m. local time (6 a.m. EDT) at the Wukesong Main Field. The winner of Friday night's game will advance to the gold-medal final that will be held Saturday night, with first pitch also set for 6 p.m.
The U.S. finished preliminary competition with a 5-2 record and enters medal-round play on a four-game winning streak and as the No. 3 seed. The U.S. is hitting .253 as a team with the pitching staff owning a 2.06 ERA in 65 2/3 innings pitched. The Red, White & Blue has also been stellar with the glove, fielding .986 through the first seven contests.
The 2008 Olympics has been tightly contested as five of the seven games the U.S. has played have been decided by two runs or less.
Team USA and Cuba held a hard-fought game last Friday that saw Cuba edge out the U.S. 5-4 in 11 innings. The game featured the use of the extra inning tiebreaker for the first time and saw the U.S. twice come back from deficits versus the Cubans before eventually falling in the 11th inning.
Since the 1984 Los Angeles Games, the U.S. has won two gold medals (1988, 2000), earned one silver medal (1992) and taken home one bronze medal (1996).
Baseball in Olympics History
<TABLE><TBODY><TR align=middle><TD>Games </TD><TD>Gold</TD><TD>Silver</TD><TD>Bronze</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>1984 Los Angeles*</TD><TD>Japan</TD><TD>United States</TD><TD>Chinese Taipei</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>1988 Seoul*</TD><TD>United States</TD><TD>Japan</TD><TD>Puerto Rico</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>1992 Barcelona</TD><TD>Cuba</TD><TD>Chinese Taipei</TD><TD>Japan</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>1996 Atlanta</TD><TD>Cuba</TD><TD>Japan</TD><TD>United States</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>2000 Sydney</TD><TD>United States</TD><TD>Cuba</TD><TD>Korea</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD align=left>2004 Athens</TD><TD>Cuba</TD><TD>Australia</TD><TD>Japan</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Note: Baseball was a demonstration sport in 1984 and 1988. It was not until 1992 that baseball was named an official Olympic medal sport.
2008 Olympic Games Results <TABLE><TBODY><TR align=middle><TD>Date</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Result</TD><TD>Pitcher of Record</TD><TD>Leading Hitter</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 13</TD><TD align=left>vs. Korea</TD><TD>L, 8-7</TD><TD>Stevens (0-1)</TD><TD>Barden (3 hits)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 14</TD><TD align=left>vs. Netherlands</TD><TD>W, 7-0 (8 inn.)</TD><TD>Strasburg (1-0)</TD><TD>Donald (3)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 15</TD><TD align=left>vs. Cuba</TD><TD>L, 5-4 (11 inn.)</TD><TD>Stevens (0-2)</TD><TD>Tiffee (2)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 16</TD><TD align=left>vs. Canada</TD><TD>W, 5-4</TD><TD>Duensing (1-0)</TD><TD>3 players (2)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 18</TD><TD align=left>vs. China</TD><TD>W, 9-1</TD><TD>Arrieta (1-0)</TD><TD>2 players (2)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 19</TD><TD align=left>vs. Chinese Taipei</TD><TD>W, 4-2</TD><TD>Knight (1-0)</TD><TD>Fowler (3)</TD></TR><TR align=middle><TD>Aug. 20</TD><TD align=left>vs. Japan</TD><TD>W, 4-2 (11 inn.)</TD><TD>Stevens (1-2)</TD><TD>Fowler (2)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
