(28 July 1996; Day 9)
There would be home runs. It was a fact that when hitter-friendly Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, aluminum bats and the two teams from Cuba and the United States are put together, the result is fielding practice for the fans who bought seats in the outfield. Nine home runs later, Cuba (6-0) outlasted the United States by the score of 10-8 to remain undefeated and claim the top spot in the medal round.
Despite trailing by eight runs, the USA (5-1) would eventually bring the winning run to the plate in the ninth. But the Cuban pitching staff, while not spectacular overall, recorded the big out one final time to end the rally, as well as the USA's bid to go undefeated through the preliminaries.
"They're really good baseball players," said USA head coach Skip Bertman, who has won six of 10 meetings against Cuba, speaking about the Cuban team.
It started like expected. Given the fact that the two teams had combined for 37 home runs - more than the rest of the six-team field combined - it was no surprise when Luis ULACIA (CUB) hit the fourth pitch of the game from Billy KOCH over the fence in leftfield. Omar LINARES followed four pitches later with a blast to center for a quick 2-0 Cuban lead nine pitches into the game.
"You can't make a mistake pitch or they are going to hit it out of the park," said USA starter KOCH. "I found that out in the first inning."
It would be the first of a combined nine home runs on the day between the two teams. For the 51,224 fans who came to see the fireworks, they got them. While the home run ball would be the chosen run producer for most of the day, the mound is is where the game was eventually decided.
Trailing by four after leftfielder Miguel CALDES added a two-out single to go with the two solo home runs in the first, the USA got an RBI single from Travis LEE and then loaded the bases on Cuban starter Omar LUIS. But, Chad ALLEN hit into an inning-ending double play to end the threat in the first. It was early, but it was a big out at a key moment as Cuba led 4-1.
At this point, the pitching, which had aided the offense in the first, started to show its own firepower as a collection of zeros were hung on the scoreboard.
KOCH, who struggled in the first, settled down to tame the Cuban bats for the next four innings to the tune of just two hits. His counterpart, LUIS, who was on his way to recording five strikeouts over six and one-third innings, also held the USA in check with the exception of an offering to Warren MORRIS that was tatooed in the top of the fifth to pull the USA to within two, 4-2.
Things changed in the sixth as KOCH tired. A leadoff double, aided by an error, put Lazaro VARGAS on third to start the sixth. KOCH followed with a walk before CALDES hit a three-run shot to the stands in left. Reliever Jim PARQUE came in to allow a run-scoring double and two-run homer to Omar LINARES as Cuba had turned the close game into a potential candidate for the international run-difference rule at 10-2. The six-run inning would be the final scoring for Cuba, but prove to be the difference.
"They only scored in two innings," said BERTMAN. "If you go back and investigate, the kids really pitched well except those two innings.
With 51,223 fans on its side to cheer them on in the comeback effort, the USA stayed in the game literally until the final out was recorded.
The USA showed its own home run power, actually winning the homer contest for the day with five. Troy GLAUS added a solo shot to lead off the seventh and the USA loaded the bases later in the inning on three consecutive singles that would lead to an additional two runs. Another big-inning opportunity ended with a pair of called strikeouts.
Three more solo home runs, one each by Chad ALLEN and Warren MORRIS in the eighth, as well as a blast by Jacque JONES in the ninth, pulled the USA to within two at 10-8 as the partisan USA crowd cheered with excitement. With one-out in the ninth, Travis LEE walked and Matt LECROY followed with a single to give the USA a chance to go ahead with a potential sixth home run. But, Pedro Luis LAZO got both ALLEN and GLAUS to strike out to end the game and give Cuba the top seed in the medal round.
"They got the outs when they had to have them," said BERTMAN after the game. "Five home runs are usually enough to win a ballgame. But, they were all with the bases empty."
As for the USA's medal hopes, they are not empty. While the exact seed for the USA squad in the medal round is still to be determined, the likelihood of a Cuban rematch exists.
This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Steven R. Shaff.
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| The Mother Nature was kind to Olympic athletes and spectators. The average high temperature during the Games was 89 degrees with an average low of 72 degrees. Highest temperature registered (20 July) - 99 degrees. Lowest high temperature registered is 79 degrees (28 July). |