World Baseball Classic: Israel stuns South Korea in opener
Scott Burcham hits game-winning RBI in extra innings
Scott Burcham singled in the winning run in extra innings Monday to lead Israel over South Korea 2-1 in the opening game of the World Baseball Classic in Seoul.
Scott Burcham RBI infield single - 2-1 lead for <a href="https://twitter.com/ILBaseball">@ILBaseball</a>! Yala yaaaa'a! <a href="https://t.co/xWGnjpJyq7">pic.twitter.com/xWGnjpJyq7</a>
—@AviMiIIerWith a victory over Taiwan on Tuesday night, Israel would be in good position to advance to the second round.
Tyler Krieger's bases-loaded walk from Won-Jun Chang forced home Nate Freiman with a second-inning run, but South Korea tied the score in the fifth on Seo Geong-chan's RBI single against Jeremy Bleich, which scored Kim Jae-ho.
Ike Davis began the go-ahead rally with a one-out walk in the 10th off Chang-Yong Lim and took third on Ryan Lavarnway's single. Tyler Krieger popped out on a bunt and Burcham, a 23-year-old in the Colorado Rockies' organization, hit a three-hopper up the middle that Geon-Chang Seo gloved with a sliding stop. The second baseman had no play as pinch runner Mike Meyers scored on the infield hit.
Winner Josh Zeid struck out two in a perfect 10th. Starter Jason Marquis allowed two hits in three scoreless innings.
Get fired up Team Israel, you struck first in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WBC2017?src=hash">#WBC2017</a>. <a href="https://t.co/ZbdnD3FhAl">https://t.co/ZbdnD3FhAl</a> <a href="https://t.co/r2VErF43L0">pic.twitter.com/r2VErF43L0</a>
—@WBCBaseballFirst-round games also are being played in Miami, Tokyo and Guadalajara. Second-round games will be in San Diego and Tokyo, while the championship round is at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles from March 20-22.
Beltre to play for Dominicans after calf injury
Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre says he will play for the Dominican Republic in the first round of the World Baseball Classic.
The five-time Gold Glove winner said Monday in the Rangers' spring training clubhouse that he feels better after playing some exhibition games. The 37-year-old Beltre missed the first week of games for Texas because of a strained left calf, an injury he suffered when working out at home before reporting to camp.
The Dominican Republic plays its first WBC game on Thursday in Miami.
Beltre plans to stay in Arizona with the Rangers as long as he can to get treatment and more at-bats before joining the Dominican team in Miami. He was in the Rangers' lineup for their game Monday against Seattle.