Team Israel won 5-0 against Team Nicaragua in the second of its four World Baseball Classic games.
The pitching made history with Israel’s first World Baseball Classic shutout. The five run win is the second largest in Israel’s history, sitting behind the team’s 15-7 win over Chinese Taipei in 2017.
1-1 Israel avoided relegation for the 2029 WBC and guaranteed it for a Nicaragua team that still seeks its first ever WBC win.
Manager Brad Ausmus shifted his lineup for Israel’s most important game of the tournament. CJ Stubbs replaced Matt Mervis as the only new player off the bench.
Cole Carrigg fell from leadoff to sixth after an 0-4 performance yesterday. Spencer Horwitz took the spot after hitting fourth against Venezuela.
Harrison Bader swapped spots with RJ Schreck, across second and third in the order. Zach Levenson and Garrett Stubbs each moved up to be the new four and five hitters.
Horwitz entered the game 3-5 in his career against Nicaragua’s starter Carlos Rodriguez. The 24-year-old is the 28th-best prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, according to FanGraphs.
Israel ace Dean Kremer opposed Rodriguez on the mound. He struck out Chase Dawson on four pitches to open the game. Kremer posted a quiet first inning after Israel allowed four runs in yesterday’s first inning against Venezuela.
Israel picked up a baserunner three innings earlier than in its first game. Spencer Horwitz led off the game with a hit by pitch, but Carlos Rodriguez regained his command to keep Israel off the board.
The bats did not stay cold for long. Cole Carrigg sparked a second inning rally with a single to left fielder Chase Dawson. The speedster lived up to his reputation with two stolen bases in the inning, giving Israel a runner on third with only one out.
Noah Mendlinger lined a changeup past second baseman Jeter Downs to drive in Carrigg. Israel held a lead for the first time in the tournament.
Kremer and Rodriguez stayed in a pitcher’s duel until the fifth inning. Both bullpens decided the final score of the game with rallies by Nicaragua and Israel.
Nicaragua opened the inning with a single by New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos and a walk by Omar Mendoza. Brad Ausmus took the ball from his ace with the lead on the line.
Josh Mallitz, a AA pitcher for the San Diego Padres, entered in relief for Kremer for his first appearance with Team Israel. He issued a walk to the first hitter he saw, letting Melvin Novoa load the bases for Nicaragua.
The Nicaraguan fans, who made up roughly 60% of the crowd, broke out into anticipatory cheers, seeking redemption after the team’s walk-off loss to the Netherlands. Mallitz tried to catch his breath and held up his hat to regain his composure on the mound.
Mallitz fell behind 3-0 against Freddy Zamora and each pitch missed the zone more than the last. Mallitz abandoned his slider and picked up a called strike just outside the zone with his fastball. He repeated the pitch in the same spot with nearly the same velocity.
Zamora swung and chopped the ball toward Jake Gelof at third base. Gelof stepped on the base and fired across the diamond to Horwitz for the inning-ending, lead-saving double play.
Israel did not let new Nicaraguan reliever Dilmer Mejia off the hook in the bottom half of the fifth. Singles by Mendlinger and Horwitz created a chance to break the game open. Harrison Bader delivered in the clutch, punching a 79 MPH changeup to right field for an RBI single, making it a 2-0 game.
Israel stuck to small ball with more walks and singles. Zach Levenson drove in two more with his own hit to right field and Carrigg brought home the fourth run. Israel sent nine men to the plate for the rally.
Nicaragua remained silent offensively for the rest of the game, reaching once on a hit by pitch across the final four innings. Israel relievers Mallitz, Matt Bowman and Max Lazar combined for 11 outs of scoreless baseball with no hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
Israel brought in new closer Tommy Kahnle for the ninth inning. The 11-year veteran struck out Jeter Downs on three pitches, freezing him on a low changeup. He elicited a one pitch groundout from Imael Munguia. First baseman Cheslor Cuthbert followed with a groundout of his own to seal Israel’s win.
Team Israel has now won against Nicaragua in back-to-back World Baseball Classics. The pitching staff finished with only two hits and two walks allowed, striking out seven in the shutout effort. Dean Kremer picked up the first win of the tournament for Israel.
Israel’s tournament run continues tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. against a 2-0 Dominican Republic team that scored 12 runs in each of their games.
