USA Goes on Power Trip, Beats Canada 6-5

Nobody doubted that Team USA would have a lack of power. The question is whether the American pitching staff would be able to hold a lead, especially against a scrappy Canadian team that shocked the Americans three years ago, beating them then, 8-6.

Even though the pitching was shaky at times, the Americans pulled through thanks to three home runs courtesy of Kevin Youkilis, Adam Dunn, and Brian McCann, which accounted for five of their six runs.

At raucous Rogers Centre, which doesn't see many sellouts, the Canadians got off to a good start thanks to the wildness of USA starter Jake Peavy. Canada scored once in the first, but could have had more with the bases loaded and 2 out, but Canada failed to score any more.

Canada started 17-year journeyman Mike Johnson, who pitched in 2008 with the CBPL's La New Bears. He got off to a good start in the first, striking out Chipper Jones to end the inning after USA captain Derek Jeter doubled to right. USA got on the board in the second thanks to a sacrifice fly from Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann, but the Canadians answered right back with a towering home run off the bat of Toronto native Joey Votto.

Johnson was solid through most of his outing, but his junkballing ways were solved by Kevin Youkilis in the top of the fourth. Youkilis flashed his opposite-field power, poking one out to right field and out of the park, just clearing the right-field fence and tying the game at 2. Three batters later, McCann drilled a two-run shot of his own to right field on an inside fastball to double USA's score, 4-2.

That home run put the Americans ahead to stay, but the Canadians fought hard the rest of the day. Washington Nationals reliever Joel Hanrahan had a bout with wildness in his only inning of work, and he surrendered a single to Jason Bay and a double to Votto before uncorking a wild pitch that scored Bay. Hanrahan got out of trouble, but Canada had pulled closer, 4-3.

Canada was within striking distance, and relief pitcher Begg had been doing well, but then the USA power reared its head again. Adam Dunn got a pitch to hit, and at first it looked like it might have been just an extra-base hit, but the ball kept going, and all of a sudden, it was out of the park. Dunn's shot, USA's third of the game, increased the American lead, 6-3.

Again, the Canadians made a game of it, not going down without a fight. They scratched one out against USA reliever Scot Shields in the 7th, and in the 9th they got 2 hits and a run off Mets setup man J.J. Putz, but in the end, it was a case of too little, too late.

USA advances to the next segment of Pool C, where they take on the winner of the Australia-Venezuela game. Canada awaits the loser of the game.