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Yankee Williams earns Puerto Rico victory

Posted on: Wednesday, 8 March 2006, 01:04 CST

By Enrique Martel

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - New York Yankee Bernie Williams drove in a sixth-inning run to hand Puerto Rico's national team a 2-1 win over Panama on Tuesday in the opening round of the World Baseball Classic.

Down a run, Puerto Rico rallied in the bottom of the sixth when Alex Rios slammed a homer to left field off Panama starter Lenin Picota to tie the game 1-1.

Shortstop Alex Cintron followed with an infield hit off reliever Manuel Acosta of Panama and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Alex Cora.

With the crowd chanting "Bernie, Bernie," Williams then hit a double to drive in Cintron for the winning run.

Williams is hoping to help Puerto Rico to a place of honor in the first international baseball tournament to include Major League players. His fellow Yankees, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Al Leiter, are on the U.S. team for the 16-nation tournament.

"Bernie, he's a clutch hitter," said Puerto Rico manager Jose Oquendo. "That's the way he plays. He's proven it through the years. He hit a tough pitch back the middle. He's professional who makes clutch hits. He's always done it."

Nonetheless, Oquendo said earlier in the day that Williams would have not started the game had power hitter Carlos Delgado not been out with tendinitis affecting a shoulder.

Delgado remains in doubt for the rest of the tournament.

Panama's sole run came in the fifth inning after Puerto Rico starter Javier Vazquez gave up a base hit to Sherman Obando and a walk to Ruben Rivera to put men on first and second for Panama.

Reliever Federico Baez then substituted for Vazquez only to walk the next two batters to give Panama the first score of the game.

The 25-year-old Puerto Rican pitcher, settling down, then forced Audes de Leon into a fly-out to right field and Johnny Lasso into a double-play to end the inning.

Jose Santiago, who came in for Baez in the sixth, was the winning pitcher for Puerto Rico while Acosta was tagged with the loss. Enrique Calero closed the game in the ninth by striking out Manuel Rodriguez of Panama.

Despite the initial setback, Panama manager Anibal Reluz said his team was still capable of a comeback and hoping for a victory over Cuba, the Olympic champions.

"We're coming to win against Cuba," Reluz said. "We came very close to a win against Puerto Rico and we know we can beat anybody in this tournament."

Source: REUTERS

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