BEIJING — Terry Tiffee doubled in the go-ahead run and Brian Barden homered and hit a tying RBI double as the U.S. rallied from a four-run deficit for a 5-4 Olympic baseball 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.
“We’ve played a lot of tight ballgames,” said third base coach Rick Eckstein. “There’s no question we’ve been tested in so many ways so far this tournament. We’ve responded. I like what I’m seeing: their heart and character.”
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.
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