BASEBALL : U.S. BASEBALL BASHES ITS WAY PAST SHOCKED JAPAN.Byline: Tim Cowlishaw Timothy Cowlishaw is a national sportswriter for The Dallas Morning News, a regular panelist on the ESPN sports talk show Around the Horn, and the lead reporter for the ESPN2 racing show NASCAR Now. Dallas Morning News A seven-run first inning made history for the U.S. baseball team Thursday night. But it wasn't until another seven-run inning in the fifth that the Americans were able to make history of Japan. The United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. pounded seven home runs, including, if you will, back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs in the first to hammer Japan 15-5 before 52,384 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium • • [ . Seven different players went deep for the U.S. - including Troy Glaus Troy Edward Glaus (born August 3, 1976 in Tarzana, California) is a Major League Baseball player who plays third base for the Toronto Blue Jays. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels (1998-2004) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2005). of Chatsworth and UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , and USC's Jacque Jones Jacque Dewayne Jones (born April 25, 1975 in San Diego, California) is an American outfielder who currently plays for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball. Early life - while Japan's Nobuhiko Matsunaka made a little history for himself in hitting the first upper-deck home run at the stadium in 25 years. The 10-run rule allowed the U.S. team to win in the minimum seven innings. Matsunaka's shot in the fourth inning cut the United States' lead to 7-5 as Kris Benson, the first overall pick by Pittsburgh in the June draft, struggled with the lead. But another seven spot in the fifth did enough damage to ensure the U.S. of running its record to 4-0. Japan is a surprising 1-3 and in danger of not qualifying for the medal round. The victory almost certainly means the U.S. and Cuba, also 4-0, will finish as the top two teams in the round-robin and won't play each other in the medal round until the championship game next Friday. The bashing started with Jones, a three-run home run with no outs in the first. After the next two hitters were retired, Texas A&M's Chad Allen started the Olympic record-setting home-run roll. Reliever Jutaro Kimura replaced starter Koichi Misawa, and things only got worse for the Japanese. Glaus, A.J. Hinch and Wayne Morris followed Allen's shot with home runs to give the U.S. a 7-0 lead and end Kimura's miserable night. Japan struck back with two runs in the first, two in the third and Matsunaka made it 7-5 in the fourth. His home run was the first hit into the upper deck at the stadium since Earl Williams took Gaylord Perry to that level in 1971. Rest assured that if the major leagues used aluminum bats there would have been hundreds more since then. The U.S. answered with seven in the fifth, and this time it took just one home run from shortstop Jason Williams. Three singles, a double, a triple, an error, a balk balk the action of a horse when it refuses to obey a command to which it usually responds. See also jibbing. and a walk did the rest of the destruction. The U.S. plays Australia on Saturday before its big showdown game with Cuba Sunday at 2 p.m. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Japan's Jutaro Kimura stands dejectedly de·ject·ed adj. Being in low spirits; depressed. See Synonyms at depressed. de·ject  ed·ly adv. as Troy Glau s of UCLA trots the bases in the American victory. Associated Press |
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