MIAMI // The mercy rule prevented the United States from any further embarrassment on Saturday when their World Baseball Classic second-round match against Puerto Rico was ended with them being 11-1 behind.
The match was halted in the seventh inning because of the tournament's rule, under which a game is concluded when team take a 10-run lead.
"Everybody is embarrassed," shortstop Derek Jeter said. "But 2-1 or 11-1, we're still in the same position. You can't sit around and hang your head too long."
US pitcher Jake Peavy lasted only two innings, in which he gave up six runs. "I take full responsibility for the boys' loss," Peavy said. "Nothing was working. Just a tough night."
The Americans now face the Netherlands in an elimination game Sunday.
They were eager to make amends for a humiliating eighth-place finish in the inaugural WBC three years ago, and they came into the tournament one of the favourites for the title.
But now they're in danger of repeating their second-round exit in 2006. Puerto Rico advance to a winner's game today against Venezuela, who beat the Netherlands 3-1 in the first game on Saturday.
"To beat the United States like that, to take them out in seven innings and win by 10, that's big," Ivan Rodriguez said.
Jeter, Chipper Jones and Kevin Youklis went a combined 0-for-9 batting 2-3-4 for the US, and Mark DeRosa, a late replacement for the American League's Most Valuable Player Dustin Pedroia, went 0-for-3 with two strike-outs while stranding five runners.
With the score 7-1, Carlos Beltran homered off Matt Thornton to start the seventh. Felipe Lopez doubled home a run and Mike Aviles hit a two-out, two-run single to end the game.
Puerto Rico poured out of the dugout as fans armed with thundersticks and flags let out one final roar.
From the beginning, Peavy turned the game into international batting practice. He gave up singles to three of the first four hitters he faced, and Puerto Rico scored twice in the first. Carlos Delgado singled home the first run, and Alex Rios followed with a sacrifice fly. Things got worse in the second for Peavy (0-1). He gave up a leadoff walk and then Lopez's homer. Following another walk, Ramon Vazquez doubled, Beltran drove in a run with an infield single and Delgado delivered an RBI groundout.
Miguel Cabrera and Jose Lopez each had solo home runs to give Venezuela victory over the Netherlands. In his first game back at Dolphin Stadium, Cabrera reached back to his Florida Marlins' days with a line drive over the left-centre field wall in the fourth that gave Venezuela a lead they never lost.
Cabrera took his familiar slow walk down the first-base line, watching his ball sail over the scoreboard and sending fans of the red, yellow and blue into a flag-waving frenzy. "It was very special to come back to Miami, my old home," Cabrera said. "I'm glad I got a home run and helped our team win the game."
Carlos Silva allowed one run and four hits in seven innings, and Lopez's homer in the eighth gave Venezuela all the cushion they needed.
* AP
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Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
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SCHEDULE
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December 11: UAE v Scotland (Sharjah Cricket Stadium)
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December 14: USA v Scotland (ICC Academy Oval 1)
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A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.