Team Italy just shy of advancing to second round of 2017 WBC play after 4-3 tiebreaker loss to Venezuela
Just 48 hours after losing 11-10 to Venezuela in a WBC Pool D extra-innings extravaganza, Team Italy gave an MLB All-Star Venezuela lineup the scare of their lives at Estadio de Beisbol Charros de Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico on March 13, 2017. Venezuela manager Omar Vizquel, who liked the way Omar Bencomo stifled the heart of Team Italy’s lineup when he threw a 
scoreless fifth inning in relief on March 11th, chose the 28-year-old Twins Triple-A pitcher as his starter in this win or go home WBC tiebreaker game. The winner would board an overnight charter flight to San Diego and advance to the second round of WBC action to play their first game in Pool F competition against Team USA on Wednesday, March 15th at Petco Park. The loser would unfortunately spend another night in Guadalajara tossing, turning and dreaming of the California sunshine that could have been if only they had won the tiebreaker.
Team Italy manager Marco Mazzieri countered Vizquel by sending out starter A.J. Morris. A close friend of NY Mets’ Jay Bruce since they were teenagers growing up in Texas, the 30-year-old hard-throwing righty Morris played on the same Houston Heat summer league team together but battled against him while attending rival high schools. Although Bruce is four months younger than Morris, it took A.J. eight years longer than his longtime baseball buddy to join him in the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse and make his MLB debut on May 24, 2016. Drafted by the Nationals in the fourth round of the 2009 MLB draft out of Kansas State University, Morris spent two years in the Washington system until he was traded to the Cubs in 2011. A.J. remained in the Chicago organization until he was claimed on waivers by the Pirates in 2014. After two years in Pittsburgh’s Minor Leagues, the seasoned journeyman signed a Minor League contract with Cincinnati on December 27, 2015. After making his 2016 Big League debut, Morris later elected free agency and signed up to play for Team Italy in the 2017 WBC.
Home team Italy took the field pumped up with sights on advancing to San Diego. Missing in
center field was NY Mets 2011 #1 draft pick Brandon Nimmo, who strained his right hamstring in the prior game against Venezuela. Italy starter Morris appeared relaxed and ready to go after pitching .2 innings in relief against Venezuela two days before the tiebreaker. He came out firing without fear of some of the most intimidating names in baseball like Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Carlos Gonzalez. Morris threw a no-hitter for five complete innings with five strikeouts and one walk. It appeared he was all set for the win as Team Italy was leading 1-0 when he left the game approaching his pitch count. Italy struck early in the bottom of the first inning after leadoff hitter John Andreoli’s ground-rule double and Daniel Descalso’s RBI single to give the Azzurri a 1-0 advantage.
Venezuela tied up the game up 1-1 in the top of the sixth inning, but Team Italy regained the 2-1 lead after John Andreoli’s homer in the bottom of the seventh. Italy was three outs away from advancing to the second round when Venezuela came back with a vengeance in the top of the ninth inning to eventually lead 4-2. Azzurri favorite Alex Liddi led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run to center field; however, the Team Italy rally fell short and Venezuela won the tiebreaker 4-3.
by Roberto Angotti
