U.S. Baseball Regains Form Against Mexico

The real wake-up call for the U.S. baseball team came in a crushing opening loss to Canada. That made crawling out of bed Tuesday for an early second game an easy assignment.

“Fortunately, or unfortunately, however you want to look at the loss yesterday, it was a wake-up call,” U.S. catcher Marcus Jensen said Tuesday after hitting two homers and driving in all of his team’s runs in a 5-1 victory over Mexico. “We just can’t go out there and expect to win. We got to play a full nine innings.”

The U.S. team, composed of minor leaguers not on the 40-man rosters of major league teams, now has a 1-1 record in Pool A. The victory all but assured the U.S. a berth in Saturday’s quarterfinals.

The U.S. team plays tournament favorite Cuba this afternoon.

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In track and field, Lance Deal, of Eugene, Ore., won the hammer throw with his first toss of 261 feet 2 1/2 inches. Kevin McMahon of San Jose, took the silver. Connie Price-Smith, of Bloomington, Ind., also 37, won her fourth Pan American medal, tossing the shot 62-6 1/2.

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In volleyball, the U.S. women defeated Canada in a tense match, 25-23, 11-25, 20-25, 25-18, 15-9. The Americans, who qualified for the medals round, clinched the victory on a kill by Danielle Scott.

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In men’s gymnastics, the U.S. was shut out in individual finals, with Cuba winning eight medals. All-around winner Eric Lopez took gold in pommel horse, parallel bars and rings. The floor exercise was won by substitute Eric Pedercini of Argentina, who got into the competition when American Chris Young went home because of an illness in the family.

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In soccer, Costa Rica beat Trinidad & Tobago, 2-0, in women’s play, and Honduras defeated Uruguay, 4-1, in men’s play.

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In men’s water polo, Puerto Rico defeated Mexico, 6-4, and Colombia beat Argentina, 9-7.

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Pan American Games organizers said they sympathized with the predicament of the Cuban delegation, which has become exasperated at the way local attention has focused on possible desertions by their athletes.

Tension began when a local newspaper published a step-by-step guide for athletes on how to defect to Canada and increased after Cuba president Fidel Castro accused Games organizers of “tricks” against his country’s athletes.

“This obsessive attention to the political side by the media is upsetting to me as well,” said Brian Koshul, spokesman for the organizing committee, when asked about Cuban grievances. “We have got Games going on here. Athletes should be the focus, politics should be left to another day.”