On this date in USA Baseball history, Team USA clenched a berth in the medal round of the Sydney Olympics with a 4-2 win over Italy. The win brought Tommy Lasorda’s squad to a tournament-best 5-0 record in the Games.
Ben Sheets got the start on the mound for the Americans and Team USA wasted no time in providing run support for their ace. Brent Abernathy started off the bottom of the first with a leadoff single followed by a Brad Wilkerson single of his own to right field to put runners on the corners.
Mike Neill brought home Abernathy on a fielder’s choice and made his way to second on a wild pickoff throw, putting Team USA on the board first and up 1-0. Ernie Young followed the trend with another single and brought Neill around giving the Americans the early 2-0 lead.
Despite the first inning jump, Team USA was relatively held at bay by the slower than usual speed of Italian starter Battista Perri. In the fourth, the Italians responded with three hits and two runs, tying the score at 2-2.
The tie remained after six innings and Lasorda was forced to pull Sheets and bring in his top reliever in Ryan Franklin. Franklin had yet to allow a baserunner or a hit in his two appearances in the Olympics and continued the trend by sitting down the Italians in order in both the seventh and eighth innings.
In the bottom of the eighth, Young and John Cotton each managed a walk, forcing a change in pitching and in the pace of the game. Mike Kinkade reached on an overthrow to first base, and with plenty of foul territory at Homebush Bay, both Young and Cotton scored putting Team USA back up 4-2.
Todd Williams recorded the final three outs in relief for Team USA earning his first save alongside Franklin’s third win of the tournament.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| ITA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| USA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| Win: R. Franklin Loss: B. Perri Save: T. Williams | Box Score |
#OTD 20 years ago, @TeamUSA celebrated skipper @TommyLasorda’s birthday with its fifth-straight #Sydney2000 victory #ForGlory🇺🇸
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) September 22, 2020
GAME RECAP: https://t.co/mgzg9R4lae pic.twitter.com/S3ydvxo3lc
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
QUOTABLES
- “I lost my voice from yelling so much because this was a tough, tough game. We were lucky to win tonight. But tomorrow when you look at the standings, it will say, ‘United States of America, 5-0.’” Tommy Lasorda (Baseball America, Miracle on Grass)
- “Some of these other teams aren’t as bad as everybody thinks. There's a lot of parity in this tournament.” Mike Neill (Baseball America, Miracle on Grass)
- "That's the game you guys have been talking about for five games. We'll find out about Cuba tomorrow. But we won't know what happens until we play them." Ernie Young (Baseball America)
