Netherlands Rebounds To Pound Israel In World Baseball Classic

TOKYO—The Netherlands bounced back from a tough loss to Japan on Sunday night to trounce upstart Israel 12-2 on Monday night in the 2017 World Baseball Classic Pool E play at Tokyo Dome.

The Dutch team banged out 15 hits, including a two-run home run by Didi Gregorius, in the one-sided affair.

“Today we put our best effort forward,” Gregorius said. “Some of us have been playing together since we were six years old, and our team chemistry is awesome.

The Netherlands, which lost to Israel in Pool A in Seoul, South Korea, last week, got six solid innings from righthander Jair Jurrjens and put on a display of hitting that produced the 10-run lead by the top of the eighth inning. The game was called by the mercy rule after home team Israel failed to score in the bottom of the eighth.

Gregorius, the Yankees’ shortstop, had five RBIs and scored three runs.

“After a tough loss to Japan, were able to get great pitching from J.J., and our offense came alive. We re-focused on a new day, and it worked out for us,” Netherlands manager Hensley Meulens said.

Yurendell Decaster opened the scoring for the Netherlands with a two-run single in the second off Israel starter Corey Baker. Right fielder Wladimir Balentien, a favorite in Japan where plays during the regular season, singled in runs in the third and fourth innings and had three RBIs.

The Dutch built up a 10-0 lead by the top of the fourth, but Israel got on the board on a solo home run by Nate Freiman and added a run in the seventh on a single by left fielder Blake Gailen. It was way too little and way too late, however.

Jurrjens struck out five and walked none in six innings, allowing just the Freiman homer to get the win. Baker was pinned with the loss.

“I wanted to give the team as many innings as I could,” Jurrjens said. “My defense helped me, and I was careful not to try to do too much. I just threw strikes and let the defense make the plays behind me.”

The rout was Israel’s first loss after four surprising wins. Both Israel and the Netherlands are 1-1 in Pool E action. Japan is 1-0 and Cuba 0-1.

“We were behind in too many counts. We made mistakes, and we should give (the Netherlands) credit for taking advantage of them. The reason we lost was not for lack of effort,” Israel manager Jerry Weinstein said.

Pool E play continues at Tokyo Dome on Tuesday night with Japan playing Cuba and, barring the necessity of a tie-breaker playoff game on Thursday, the Asian portion of the Classic concludes on Wednesday with Cuba playing the Netherlands and Japan facing Israel.