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Catch 22 Slam shifts power as U.S. wins, Cuba loses
SYDNEY, Australia (CNNSI.com) -- Doug Mientkiewicz belted an eighth-inning grand slam to propel the United States to a 4-0 win over South Korea Wednesday night. The Americans win, coupled with Cuba's loss earlier in the day to the Netherlands, made the United States the only undefeated team remaining in the eight-team field. Prior to Wednesday's loss, Cuba had won 21 consectuive games in Olympic competition. "These first four games have been unbelievable," said outfielder Ernie Young, who scored on the slam. "This is what baseball's all about." Until Wednesday, Olympic baseball had been about Cuba winning. The Dutch changed all that with the help of some former Yanks, beating the Cubans 4-2 to end their remarkable run. Stripped of their swagger and their perfect record, the Cubans packed their equipment bags, slung them over their shoulders and headed for the bus. Any tears were saved for the ride home. After sweeping to gold medals in Barcelona and Atlanta, the Cubans (3-1) finally learned what it's like to lose. The gold is still possible, but the island nation that loves its "beisbol" has lost a little bit of its luster. "It's not embarrassing," outfielder Luis Ulacia said in a matter-of-fact tone. "That's why they send so many teams to the Olympics. They don't just bring Cuba." The Americans knew that the Cubans had lost when they took the field for their later game. They didn't have much time to think about it -- South Korea (1-3) took a scoreless tie into the eighth. That's when Mientkiewicz, who played for the Minnesota Twins last year before being sent back to the minors, came through with his big hit, perfectly timing a full-count fastball. "This is the best feeling in the world," he said. "This is the best feeling I've ever had in baseball." For the first time, the Cubans had to deal with defeat.
In Barcelona, the Cubans easily rolled to the gold. With defections starting to take a toll, the Cubans had to survive a few close calls en route to another gold medal in Atlanta four years ago. Amateur baseball's dynasty finally cracked Wednesday, failing to come through like it had every other time in the past. Former New York Yankees outfielder Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens doubled with the bases loaded and former San Francisco Giants pitcher Ken Brauckmiller pitched eight strong innings as the Netherlands (2-2) closed in on the upset.
When former Mets infielder Ralph Milliard cradled the ball at second for a game-ending forceout, the Netherlands had the win that had eluded the rest of the world. "This is for all the Dutch people around the world!" exclaimed Meulens, who broke into the majors with the Yankees in 1989. By switching from aluminum bats to wood and allowing professionals -- mostly minor leaguers and former major leaguers -- into the Olympic tournament this year, organizers left Cuba vulnerable. "You can't win 'em all," said Brauckmiller, a former San Francisco Giants pitcher who handled the Olympics' best-hitting lineup for eight innings. "You win 20 in a row and sooner or later maybe things catch up to you." The upset was within grasp after Meulens' bases-loaded double in the third off Maels Rodriguez, who throws a 99 mph fastball but opted for the slider. "It was probably the biggest hit of my career," Meulens said. "Getting to the major leagues is one of the greatest things anyone can have. Being part of the Yankees and getting to play my first game at Yankee Stadium was great. This ranks right up there." By the ninth, the crowd of 12,450 was on its feet, waiting to see if the Cubans could forestall history. They couldn't, leaving an opening for the United States to jump ahead of them for the first time. The Americans took it. "You were surprised that they lost," U.S. manager Tom Lasorda said of the Cubans. "But it's like anything: You never know. No one can predict what's going to happen."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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