"Everybody's embarrassed, but lose 2-1 or 11-1 and we're still in the same position," shortstop Derek Jeter said. "We can't sit around and hang our heads too long."

Team USA returns to Dolphin Stadium on Sunday night to face the Netherlands in an elimination game. To advance to the semifinals, the Americans must take that game and either win a rematch against Puerto Rico or defeat Venezuela.

Against the Netherlands, the Americans will have one small advantage. They will not be seen as the villains by the crowd.

As was the case during the opening round in Toronto, Team USA played this game before a hostile audience. The announced turnout of 30,595 was heavily pro-Puerto Rican.

"You expect that when you're playing the Latin American team in Miami," DeRosa said. "We've been the visitors the whole time in this thing. In Canada, we were arch-enemy No. 1. It was the same way tonight. That's fine. It's no excuse for the way we played.'"

Team USA fell behind 6-0 after two innings as Puerto Rico pounded righthander Jake Peavy. Manager Davey Johnson handled Peavy as if this were just another morning "B'' game on a back diamond in spring training.

Peavy, like most starters, operates on an every-fifth-day format during spring training. Because the irregular WBC schedule would not allow that, Peavy was scheduled to build arm strength with two full-scale throwing sessions after his start on March 7 against Canada.

When Peavy became ill while in Toronto, one of the throwing sessions was scrubbed. To compensate, Johnson determined Peavy would throw a set number of pitches no matter how he fared.

Because of that, the 11-man bullpen never stirred as Peavy took a beating. He could not get the ball down, and the Puerto Rican hitters clubbed him. Eight of the 15 hitters that Peavy faced reached base. He had a swing-and-miss on only two of his 57 pitches.

Atlanta Braves News News » Team USA takes step backward in one-sided loss 2009-03-15
Team USA takes step backward in one-sided loss 2009-03-15
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - Minus the postgame snow-cone fest, Team USA players returned to their Little League roots on Saturday night. They got 10-run-ruled. The staple of mismatches in youth baseball was invoked during the World Baseball Classic. Puerto Rico humiliated the Americans. A two-run single by Mike Aviles gave Puerto Rico an 11-1 lead in the seventh inning, immediately stopping the game. All that was lacking was American parents behind the dugout, telling their sons that they had tried hard. This punctuated one of the darkest days in Team USA history. Before the game, second baseman and reigning American League Most Valuable Player Dustin Pedroia of Boston left the club because of a strained muscle in his left side. Baltimore's Brian Roberts replaced Pedroia. Roberts joins a team that now has something in common with China, Korea, Mexico and South Africa. All have been mercy-rule victims in this tournament. That is not supposed to happen to the Americans. "It's going to take a little while to get over that," USA catcher Brian McCann said. "Embarrassing," outfielder Adam Dunn said. "It is unacceptable, uncalled for.'" "An ambush," second baseman Mark DeRosa said. MLB Spring Training