USA, Australia roll

Team USA poured it on with an eight-run sixth inning to blow by Venezuela, 15-6 and clinch a spot in round two of the World Baseball Classic. Kevin Youkilis and Adam Dunn each launched their second home run of the tournament.

The USA now waits for Canada, Italy and Venezuela to sort out which one vies for the top seed from Pool C. I'm going to go with Venezuela out of those three.

Australia, meanwhile, beat up on an MLB-laden Mexico lineup, 17-7 in Mexico City. The Aussies piled up 22 hits, scored 13 runs after the fourth inning, and scored at least three runs in five different innings. They get Cuba in the winners bracket of Pool B.

I'm going with Cuba in that one.

Team USA defeates Canada

Team USA got off on the right foot with a 6-5 win over Canada, but it was a tough win. The Canadians have a nice lineup with Russell Martin, Joey Votto, Justin Morneau and Jason Bay occupying the No. 2 thru 5 slots. Votto stole the show with a 4-5 afternoon, including a home run and a ninth-inning RBI double to halve the American lead at 6-5. J.J. Putz, however, was able to get out of his own jam for the save.

The USA now plays the winner of Italy and Venezuela.

Kevin Youkilis, Adam Dunn and Brian McCann provided the power for Team USA, each connecting for a home run. The three bombs accounted for five of the six American runs. I don't think they're necessarily a station-to-station team, however, and the USA should be manufacture runs with probably the best lineup in the classic.

One more note on Votto. The Canadian coaching staff must be very high on him if they're willing to bat Votto ahead of Morneau and Bay in the third slot.

America or else

Tommy Lasorda gave Team USA a pep talk prior to the World Baseball Classic.

"We cannot allow those clubs to beat us. It's our game," the former Los Angeles Dodgers manager said Thursday. "Remember one thing: In your hearts, you better pull for the USA or you may not get into heaven."

"It's our game. Baseball is America's game. It doesn't belong to the Italians or the Cubans or the Koreans or the Japanese," he said. "It's our game, and we're not going to let them beat us."

Lasorda might be xenophobic when it comes to baseball, but he's willing to flip the switch for this year's world tournament despite his hostility toward everyone but the USA.

Lasorda, the Hall of Fame manager and Classic global ambassador, was there with Major League Baseball executive vice president of business Tim Brosnan and Empire State Building general manager Jim Connors for the official lighting ceremony of the Classic.

That evening, once the sun dipped below the Hudson River to the west, the Empire State Building was geared up to shine red, green, blue and yellow on each of the four sides of the building in honor of the World Baseball Classic colors.

"The colors on the building shows it's big-time," said Lasorda. "All of the country now will know about the Classic."

Yes, all of the country, indeed. Not all of the world. I'm guessing Lasorda wished that building was made up of the three primary colors. Well, his three primary colors of red, white and blue.