The 2017 World Baseball Classic continued Thursday, with teams in Pools C and D opening play at Marlins Park and Estadio Charros de Jalisco, respectively. The Dominican Republic stormed to a 9-2 victory over Canada, which was entertaining in its own right but paled in comparison to the matchup between Italy and Mexico.
That game featured several Los Angeles Dodgers, including Rob Segedin starting in left field and batting cleanup for Team Italy, while Mexico’s lineup had Alex Verdugo starting in center field and batting second, and Adrian Gonzalez at first base and hitting cleanup.
Verdugo played all nine innings, finishing the game in right field, and going 3-for-5 with a run scored. However, Verdugo’s night ended on a disappointing note as he failed to make a spectacular diving catch on a ball hit to the right-center field gap.
The 20-year-old got his glove on the ball, only to lose control of it as he made contact with the ground. The bases-loaded, RBI single trimmed Mexico’s lead to 9-8. The single came after Dodgers Minor Leaguer Drew Maggi worked a 10-pitch plate appearance to draw a walk that loaded the bases.
John Andreoli’s two-run infield single completed Italy’s improbable 10-9 walk-off victory in front of a stunned pro-Team Mexico crowd. Mexico took a five-run lead into the bottom of the ninth and failed to record an out in the inning.
Adrian Gonzalez, playing in just his third game of the year after appearing in a pair of Cactus League contests for the Dodgers this week, went 0-for-5 with one strikeout. He left three runners on base.
Segedin went 1-for-4 with an opposite-field, two-run homer in the fourth inning. Sergio Romo struck out a batter en route to retiring the side in order the eighth. He ending the inning by getting Segedin to fly out.
Former Dodgers reliever Vidal Nuño also completed a scoreless inning in relief with one strikeout. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in February in exchange for Minor League reliever Ryan Moseley.
Former Dodgers infielder Luis Cruz went 1-for-3 with a two-run double. Cruz, who played shortstop Thursday night, committed a costly error in the ninth inning.
