Showing posts tagged “Jorge Gutierrez”

Only the fireworks are pretty: USA demolishes Guatemala 18-0

Mike Potter · 3 Jul 2009, 10:28 PM · Comment


usabauer1COLEMAN FIELD/CARY It’s Game 3 of what has so far been a very lopsided series between the USA National Team and Guatemala.

In Game 1 on Wednesday night in Kannapolis the USA pitching staff combined for 24 strikeouts and then on Thursday night on this field the staff combined for the first official no-hitter in team history.

The crowd is a little bigger on a very pleasantly warm evening at the National Training Complex, perhaps drawn in by the post-game fireworks. And maybe there will be some during the game, too.

The USA is in camo uniforms tonight to celebrate the Independence Day weekend.

To review, this Guatemalan team has a massively wide age range. Infielder Jorge Gutierrez, who came into the game with the Quetzals’ only two hits of the series and isn’t in the starting lineup, is 42 while center fielder Manuel Hernandez is 16.

And once again, I’m the only one in the house representing local media - or in fact any general-circulation publication not specializing in baseball. Baseball America is also on site.

The Americans are batting in the top of the first inning, and it quickly becomes obvious this is like the movie “Groundhog Day” for the overmatched Guatemalans, who are on the way to an 18-0 loss that’s stopped after seven innings. UCLA’s Trevor Bauer (pictured) gets the win. Continue reading »

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Four for July: USA quartet makes history as Guatemalans go hitless

Mike Potter · 2 Jul 2009, 11:14 PM · Comment


usacoleCOLEMAN FIELD/CARY It’s Game 2 of the USA National Team series against Guatemala, and the main suspense is to see whether or not the visitors can get closer than Wednesday night’s 15-1 loss in Kannapolis.

It’s partly cloudy and warm - temperatures in the high ’80s - and the crowd for this one is pretty sparse.

There are no food freebies for the media tonight. Bummer. At least I’ve called ahead to find out and had a good meal at home with the family.

Already today I’ve been at Durham Bulls Athletic Park to do an interview with a player for a “Top 50 prospects” project for a baseball website.

The Bulls weren’t home on Wednesday either and neither were the Carolina Mudcats, making it one of those rare days since March on which there wasn’t at least one high quality baseball game in the Triangle.

That off-day gave me some time for some serious exploration of Facebook, which I had never bothered to join until last weekend. I’m going to start posting my Indy posts to my page every day, as well as putting them all on Twitter, where I am “mikepotterrdu.”

Guatemala has about the widest age range I have ever seen on a baseball team that plays together regularly. Infilelder Jorge Gutierrez, who got the only two hits on Wednesday, is 42, while center fielder Manuel Hernandez is 16.

And apparently on what turns out to be an historic night, I am the only journalist covering the game for local media (Baseball America is also in the house) as the USA wins 10-0 on the first regular-season no-hitter in team history. UCLA’s Gerrit Cole (pictured), The Citadel’s Asher Wojciechowski, Tulane’s Nick Pepitone and Texas Tech’s Chad Bettis team up for the feat. (The 9-0 win against Canada in 2004 at DBAP was during the team’s “trials” phase.) Continue reading »

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Pomeranz mows down 17 as the competition doesn’t get any tougher

Mike Potter · 2 Jul 2009, 12:08 AM · Comment


pomeranzGuatemala provided no more competition for the USA National Team than the high schoolers from Canada had - at least in Wednesday night’s series opener.

Ole Miss’ Drew Pomeranz (pictured) broke the National Team strikeout record with 17 in just six innings, leading the Red, White and Blue to a 15-1 victory at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium in Kannapolis. The old record was 14.

Pomeranz allowed a run on two hits without a walk in team’s 30th straight win including the six in international friendlies this season.

Louisville’s Tony Zych and T.J. Walz of Kansas came on in relief, tying a USA team-record 24 strikeouts in the contest.

Cal State-Fullerton’s Christian Colon led the winners with three hits and four RBI, while Rice’s Rick Hague added three hits and one RBI.

Jorge Gutierrez doubled and scored for the visitors in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 8-1.

The teams will square off in the second of their scheduled four games tonight at 7 at Cary’s Coleman Field, with UCLA’s Gerrit Cole on the hill for the USA.

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