Canada mulls options for pitching staff, lineup after better effort in final WBC tune-up

PEORIA, Ariz. – Now comes the obtain for the Canadian nationwide staff, a time to evaluate what transpired in a pair of exhibition video games and attempt to arrange the roster as successfully as potential for the World Baseball Classic.

A 5-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday afternoon, arrange by three unearned runs off former Yomiuri Giants nearer Scott Mathieson, closed out the interval of experimentation with one other afternoon of blended outcomes.

Andrew Albers and Phillippe Aumont – like Mathieson, together with John Axford and Adam Loewen on Wednesday returning to motion after lengthy absences – delivered stable innings. Fellow relievers Indigo Diaz, Cade Smith and Ben Onyshko additionally posted zeroes, flashing aggressive stuff. Hard-hitting Chicago Cubs prospect Owen Caissie continued to push for normal at-bats within the match by pounding a two-run homer to centre that put Canada up 3-2 within the seventh.

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The defence was tighter than it was in Wednesday’s 11-7 loss to the Chicago Cubs, too, regardless of the error that led to the pivotal Mariners rally capped by Kaden Polcovich’s two-run shot.

Still, mapping out how one can work by means of the match opener Sunday in opposition to Great Britain – when Cal Quantrill begins – and three video games past is way from clear.

“I thought our pitchers did well, I thought we were a little bit sharper,” mentioned supervisor Ernie Whitt. “We haven’t finalized anything.”

Toronto Blue Jays utilityman Otto Lopez was within the leadoff spot in opposition to the Mariners forward of Freddie Freeman and Tyler O’Neill, pushing Edouard Julien all the way down to fourth with Abraham Toro fifth. Along with Oakland Athletics prospect Denzel Clarke batting seventh, that allowed Canada to alternate between left- and right-handed hitters all the way in which all the way down to the underside two spots.

“I just wanted to balance out the lineup so that they can’t bring a lefty in and face three lefties in a row,” mentioned Whitt. “There’s a lot of teetering on that, too, so we’ll see.”

The chances are Canada begins Jacob Robson in left area, Jared Young at DH and employs a platoon in proper of Clarke and Caissie, who’s seemed mature past his 20 years and confirmed the sort of uncooked energy that performs when he took Prelander Berroa deep.

With no prior historical past in opposition to the Mariners righty and no scouting report back to lean on, Caissie’s strategy was, “OK, what is he throwing on the board and try to react off that pretty much.”

He noticed fastballs at 95-96, determined to hunt the heater, bought one center in and crushed it, adjusting after earlier strikeouts in opposition to Marco Gonzales and Paul Sewald. That maturity on the plate offers him an opportunity to be issue when the video games rely for actual.

“In my first game against the Cubs, I thought I had really good ABs, I saw a lot of pitches, worked deep into the count, things didn’t go my way,” mentioned Caissie. “In this game, my first AB, I struck out on three pitches, I didn’t really like that. Second AB, Sewald was just riding good fastballs up on me and I was a little late. So my third AB I was trying to be a little quicker and a little bit earlier in my timing and I got a good pitch to hit. Really it’s trying to be on time and slow and early with my move.”

After starter Rob Zastryzny, attributable to begin the first-round finale in opposition to Mexico, allowed two runs in two workmanlike innings, Albers got here on to ship a clear third, hanging out two batters within the course of.

The 37-year-old lefty from North Battleford, Sask., felt good in regards to the outing, his first since closing out the 2021 season with the Minnesota Twins. Coming out of the lockout final yr, he agreed to phrases on a minor-league cope with the Mariners however they pulled out when a bodily recognized an edema in his elbow.

A yr of relaxation and the reassurance of a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews that “if I can keep the extension in my elbow I should be fine” set him up for a 3rd Classic look. If issues proceed to go nicely, maybe some work afterward, too.

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“That’s always the hope but there are some roadblocks to that,” mentioned Albers. “Obviously I’m a little bit older. The stuff in and of itself isn’t going to wow anybody. So it’s an uphill battle from the get-go when you don’t throw 95. But certainly, if an opportunity came up, it would be something I’d love to try and give it one more go.”

Aumont isn’t in search of something greater than some innings on the Classic, though the truth that he pulled himself off his 90-hectare farm north of Gatineau, Que., shook off a fractured coccyx, or tailbone, suffered whereas taking part in beer-league hockey in January and pulled 92 out of his again pocket bodes nicely for the six-foot-seven righty.

Looking nothing like somebody who hadn’t been in an actual recreation since attending Blue Jays camp on a minor-league deal in 2020, the eleventh general decide within the 2007 draft labored round a two-out stroll in a scoreless fourth, with a strikeout for good measure.

“It’s been pretty fun to just be like, OK, I can still throw everything for a strike and I can still hit both sides of the plate – it’s been three years,” mentioned Aumont. “That’s the cool part about it. I’m still amazed at myself that I could do that.”

How finest to make the most of him and everybody else is now the precedence for the Canadians.

The two exhibition losses revealed each strengths and weaknesses. Optimizing matchups throughout the match’s difficult utilization guidelines will likely be important. Three wins in 4 video games takes them to the second spherical. Two wins give them a shot at advancing. As the early video games within the Asian half of the match bracket present, something can occur.

“I like our team,” mentioned Albers. “I like the talent that we’ve got here. And I think we’ve got a chance to do something special. Obviously, we’re going to have to catch a couple of breaks like everybody else, but I think we’ll be very competitive.”

Added Caissie: “We’re going to compete. People always say that Canadians can’t really play baseball. But I think we’re going to really surprise people.”

Which folks say that?

“General media. Definitely not Canadians,” mentioned Caissie. “But there’s always a narrative that we only play hockey. We want to all show them that we can play ball.”

Starting Sunday, they’re going to get the prospect to just do that.

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