phelps is just insane
Printable View
phelps is just insane
Tiffee's go-ahead double leads American comeback against Canada
Aug. 16, 2008
CBSSports.com wire reports
BEIJING -- Terry Tiffee doubled in the go-ahead run in the seventh, and Brian Barden homered and hit a tying RBI double as the U.S. baseball team rallied from a four-run deficit for a 5-4 victory over Canada on Saturday.
Brian Duensing retired 10 of the final 11 batters of the game for the win as the Americans turned a one-run result in their favor for a change. They lost their opener 8-7 to South Korea and then a demoralizing 5-4, 11-inning defeat to defending champion Cuba on Friday.
Their medal hopes seemed to be in serious jeopardy when trailing 4-0. The U.S. team (2-2) must be among the top four clubs in the eight-team, robin-robin tournament to have a chance of reaching the medal stand.
Barden played in place of injured second baseman Jayson Nix, a day after Nix fouled a ball of his left eye and needed microsurgery that will keep him out the rest of the Olympics.
"He's much better," USA Baseball executive director Paul Seiler said. "He's under USOC care. I'm going to visit him tomorrow."
Barden hit a solo homer to start the fourth for the Americans. It was just the second hit off Canadian starter James Avery.
After games against China and Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, the Americans must face medal favorite and 2006 World Baseball Classic champion Japan on Wednesday night.
The Americans put the tying run aboard when Lou Marson drew a leadoff walk in the seventh against loser Chris Reitsma, a seven-year big leaguer who pitched last year for the Seattle Mariners. Marson went to second on Jason Donald's sacrifice and scored on Barden's double. Tiffee followed with the go-ahead double.
The U.S. team was not scheduled to practice during Sunday's rest day. There is a scheduled makeup of a game between China and South Korea that was suspended Thursday because of a downpour.
Emmanuel Garcia had an RBI triple and Emerson Frostad doubled in a run for Canada (1-3), which couldn't protect a 4-0 lead. Like the U.S., the Canadians had one-run losses to Cuba and South Korea.
The Americans fell behind 3-0 in the third on Garcia's one-out triple and an RBI groundout by Michael Saunders. Canada made it 4-0 when Adam Stern singled in a run in the fourth.
U.S. lefty starter Brett Anderson was chased in the sixth after allowing a two-out double to Matt Rogelstad and Chris Robinson's infield single that bounced just up the third-base line and stayed fair. Duensing relieved and got Stern on a called third strike, then pitched two scoreless innings after that.
U.S. manager Davey Johnson started a Double-A farmhand from the Oakland Athletics for the second straight day, following Friday starter Trevor Cahill with the left-handed Anderson against Canada's heavy lefty lineup. After a 1-2-3 first, Anderson didn't get another clean inning until retiring the side in order again in the fifth.
Canada second baseman Stubby Clapp made a great stop on Marson's hard liner in the third, diving to his right for the catch. Clapp also fouled a ball just wide of the right-field foul pole with the tying run on first in the ninth.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2007-2008, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
Oh Mike is the face of the USA Olympic team
Theres some good VB going on the mens side right now, playing Spain..just took the first set, but it was a hell of one. On NBC.
U.S. routs world champion Spain, clinches top seed in Group B
Aug. 16, 2008
CBSSports.com wire reports
BEIJING -- Four down, four to go. The U.S. men's Olympic team is halfway back to the top of the basketball world.
And not even the world champions -- on paper, anyway -- could give the Americans a game.
Kobe Bryant and the Americans improve to 4-0 with the victory over Spain. (AP)
Unleashing a lethal 3-point barrage for the first time in Beijing, the Americans turned the marquee matchup of the preliminary round into another romp, beating Spain 119-82 Saturday night to clinch the top seed in their group.
LeBron James scored 18 points for the United States (4-0), which hit seven of its first 10 attempts from behind the arc after making only 29 percent in its first three games. The Americans finished at 48 percent (12-of-25), an almost unfair total for a team with unmatched athleticism.
"We shot 45 percent from the 3 and we shot close to 80 from the free throw line, so that's a plus if we can do that," James said. "We know we're going to defend, we know we're going to get fast-break points, but when we can shot the ball from the outside like that and shoot free throws, well it's going to be tough to beat us."
Every U.S. player scored -- even Jason Kidd for the first time in Beijing -- as the Americans turned the matchup of unbeatens into their easiest victory yet. Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony each finished with 16 points.
The Americans will face the No. 4 seed from Group A, either Australia or Croatia, in the quarterfinals. They also wouldn't have to face Lithuania, the other remaining unbeaten and top seed from the other side, or Spain again until the gold-medal game.
Felipe Reyes scored 19 points for Spain (3-1), the 2006 world champion. The Spanish have won eight of their last 10 Olympic games, but the two losses were against the Americans. They hope to get another crack next Sunday on the final day of the Beijing Games.
"It was something for us personally to say, 'Where do we measure up with the champions?'" Kobe Bryant said. "And this was a big game for us."
And how did the U.S. measure up?
"Pretty damn well," Bryant said.
The Americans need to play eight games to win the gold medal. They can lose Monday's now-meaningless game to close pool play against Germany, but have to be perfect for the final three starting Wednesday.
They look up for the task.
Ignoring early foul trouble to Bryant and Anthony, the Americans turned to top reserves Wade and Chris Paul to ignite an early 13-3 spurt that gave them a 13-point lead late in the first quarter. Spain never made much of a dent in the deficit. even while shooting 58 percent in the first half.
The Spanish tried to slow the Americans with a zone defense, but crisp ball movement set up open 3-pointers -- and the U.S. players finally made them. James and Bryant hit from behind the arc on consecutive possessions after Spain trimmed the U.S. lead to eight midway through the second quarter, and Deron Williams nailed another during a 9-0 burst that made it a 20-point game late in the half.
The Americans led 61-45 at the break, then Anthony hit two more 3s during an 11-3 surge to open the second half that made it 72-48 when Kidd sank a layup on a pass from James - his first shot attempt in Beijing.
Kidd joked the shot ruined his whole Olympic experience.
"My man gave me the ball I had to take the layup," he said, "even though I didn't want to."
With the packed crowd still buzzing from China's thrilling victory against Germany earlier in the night session, the Olympic basketball arena had an energy that had been missing since the Americans' victory against the Chinese on opening night.
James was already walking toward the Spanish team's line of players for the pregame handshakes and exchange of gifts before Spain's national anthem was even finished. Realizing the opponents weren't ready, he stopped at midcourt and tried to get his teammates to do the same, but some walked right past.
That made it clear: James and his teammates were ready to go.
"They wanted to make a statement in this game, playing against us, and they did," Spain's Pau Gasol said. "They sent a message to everybody in the tournament. They didn't do it before, and now everybody knows that they're for real, and they're very serious about this."
James opened the game with a steal and layup and added seven more points in the first period. After needing 1½ quarters to start pulling away from their first three opponents, the Americans needed barely 8 minutes to take a double-digit lead in this one.
And that was with Bryant missing most of the period in foul trouble. He flattened Gasol, his Los Angeles Lakers teammate, while trying to run through a pick two minutes into the game, then collected an offensive foul with 5:50 remaining.
No matter. U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski just sent in Wade, who came in averaging 18.3 points, trailing only Argentina's Manu Ginobili for the tournament lead. His alley-oop dunk on a pass from James put the Americans at the 90-point mark with still 9 minutes left in the game.
It wasn't long after that before they blew past the 101 points they rang up against China, their previous high here. Paul scored 14 points, and Bryant and Williams each had 11.
Gasol finished with 13 points for Spain, which closes pool play against winless Angola.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2007-2008, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserve
He did it......8 for 8!
YESSSSSSS!!!!!! Lezak is awesome too
I am going on record now as saying ......................
Muchael Phelps..........Athlete of the Year!!!!!
oppppppppppps!!!!!!!!
Michael Phelps..........Athlete of the Year!!!!!