Daily News: Baseball - Team U.S.A. beats Netherlands 9-3 at World Baseball Classic - by Anthony MCCaron

Team U.S.A. beats Netherlands 9-3 at World Baseball Classic - by Anthony MCCaron

An international incident, baseball style, added spice to Team USA's 9-3 victory over the Netherlands Sunday night, a win that saved the Americans from the humiliation of elimination in the World Baseball Classic. After Dutch hitter Bryan Engelhardt posed too long at the plate following his long homer to right in the eighth inning, Team USA pitcher Matt Lindstrom threw the ball behind the back of the next hitter, Vince Rooi. Several Dutch players came out of their dugout, some yelling at Lindstrom - Netherlands manager Rod Delmonico later called the pitch "classless" - and it took the umpiring crew several moments to calm the Dutch.

The Netherlands, the darlings of the tournament after upsetting the All-Star-studded Dominican Republic twice in Round 1, were eliminated by Johnson, the man who once managed them. The Dutch team got a standing ovation from fans following the game.

Bleacher Report: Dutch Baseball: Bringing March Madness to the WBC in beating the Dominican Republic

For the complete story from the Bleacher Report click on this link

Dutch Baseball- Bringing March Madness to the WBC in beating the Dominican Republic

The U.S., Puerto Rico, Japan, Venezuela, Cuba, and Korea have all coasted through to the second round in the double elimination format of this years Classic. Panama, South Africa and Italy have all been eliminated. This was all to plan, but Italy beat Canada (no superpower, but anchored by guys like Jason "Buzzards" Bay, Russell Martin, and Justin Morneau), Australia beat Mexico, and, get this, the Netherlands beat The Dominican Republic twice.

"Last night I sat down in the seventh inning and had to squint to make sure the score was right. 0-0. Guys named Stuifbergen, Smit, Neuman (a fireballing Red Sox prospect who struck out Tejada in the eighth) and Boyd shut down the imposing All-Star laden lineup from the Dominican. When it really counted Eugene Kinsale and Yurrendell de Caster came through in the eleventh, even after their opponents had taken the lead in the top of the inning. I couldn't look away, and my girlfriend kept wondering who I was rooting for when I cheered at every out gotten by the Dutch (she knew the Sox and the U.S. were not playing)."

Pittsburg Pirates top the Netherlands, 5-4 in Florida

Eugene Kingsdale scored two points against the Pirates for Holland (photo ANP)

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Baseball: Pittsburg Pirates top the Netherlands, 5-4 in Florida

Ross Ohlendorf had a shaky start, but Garrett Jones had three RBIs in the Pirates' 5-4 exhibition victory against the Netherlands' this Tuesday at McKechnie Field in Bradington Florida. In other friendly games in Florida the Netherlands won 18-1 against Eckerd College, played a draw 3-3 against Korea and 4-4 against the University of South Florida. In their Florida "warm-up" for the World Baseball Classics, which start in the Dominican Republic on March 7, the Netherlands is still scheduled to play against the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins.