HAVANA, CUBA – Two unearned runs proved costly for Baseball Canada’s national senior team as it dropped to 2-2 at the 2006 Americas Olympic Qualifier after a 2-1 loss to Mexico.
Canada took a 1-0 lead into the fifth thanks to Emerson Frostad’s (Calgary, Alta.) second homerun of the tournament in the fourth inning, but Canada botched the back end of a double play in the fifth, failing to end the inning unscathed.
With Mexican runners on first and second, Canadian starter Brett Gray (Petrolia) induced a ground ball to short stop Kevin Nicholson who flipped it over to second for the second out of the inning, but with Mexican shortstop Carlos Gastelum bearing down on him, Canadian second baseman Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.) had to rush his throw and missed his target at first base. Victor Bojorquez,
Mexican right fielder Geronimo Gil knocked in team-mate Carlos Valencia later in the inning for the winning run.
The errors, just two of four Canadian miscues on the day spoiled what was otherwise an impressive outing by Gray in his first start of the tournament as the right-hander gave up no earned runs behind five hits, three strikeouts and two walks in six innings of work.
Canada threatened to tie the game in the bottom half of the fifth inning when left fielder Mike Saunders (
After coming from behind for two dramatic victories in the past two days, the Canadians looked like they had some fight left in them once again when third baseman Matt Rogelstad (
However, Tequida struck out yesterday’s hero, Frostad, while Mexican closer Adrian Manzano struck out Saunders and induced a ground out to Boucher to end the game, handing the Canadians their second defeat of the tournament.
Jonathan Lockwood (
Canada’s final round-robin game in the tournament comes tomorrow against
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