Nail Biter III

Wow, the baseball Gods have been cruel to the one team in the Olympics that could use a break. We are the only team to have been rained out and play 2 overtime games! While every other team is enjoying a day off we are forced to play a rain postponed game with Korea. We had played to a 0-0 tie when the rains fell in the 6th inning so the game was played tonight on the main field of Wukesong Stadium. The game continued with one out and a 3-2 count on the hitter in the bottom if the sixth. We used our game 1 starter, Bo Tao, to give us a good chance of winning. He is one of our most consistent starters and he was going to pitch against USA had we not had to mix up our line ups. He pitched awesome, trouble was, so did the Korean pitcher. We traded jabs and body blows over the next 4 innings and neither man fell to the canvas. We finished regulation play in a 0-0 deadlock with the team with the second best record behind the leader Cuba. Can you believe it, another overtime game! The tie breaking rules apply again as we are the first to take our shot at scoring. As the rule demands we start the inning with men on first and second. We have given the signal to sacrifice bunt but when the fielders charged in the hitter has the option to "slug" it through the infield. He made solid contact and hit it in the direction between first and second. The second baseman hustled over to snag the ball and quickly flipped it to first to just beat the runner. The next hitter quickly fell behind 0-2 and the same eerie feeling came upon us as in previous games........another strike out with men in scoring position. Our hitter battled the pitcher and fouled off two more pitches before he sent a deep fly ball into left field. Eureka, finally we scored a runner from third! I was busy hive fiveing everyone and when I turned around the Korean team was leaving the infield. What the heck was going on? Apparently our base runner left third base too soon and was called out at third for failing to tag up. He is the fastest player on the team, a deep fly ball and the fielder didn't even throw home and he gets called out at third. Are you kidding me? Well, you could just see the air get suck right out of our sails as we take the field.
Korea also is going to sacrifice the runner to third with a bunt. He lays down the bunt and the pitcher makes a quick turn to third and makes a throw. Our third baseman, who is verrrrry inexperienced, doesn't get back to third in time and the runner is safe. The play should have never went to third, we should have taken the out and then we walk the next guy and play for the double play. We now have to bring the infield and outfield in to make a play at home. After a couple of fouls balls the hitter hits a line drive over the third baseman and we go down in defeat 1-0. UUUUGGGGHHHHH.
We have been so close in the last two games. We are 1-3 and we could easily be 3-1 in 2nd place! The games have been that close. We were within two hits or a couple of feet from that scenario.
Who would have thought that we would play these powerful teams so close.....no one! We are showing the world that we have come to play. We may not have won in these games but we have certainly won the respect of our competitors. I'll take the wins.
Tomorrow, Team USA.