Netherlands Knock Dominican Republic Out of the World Baseball Classic, 2-1

Last night, the Netherlands did the almost unthinkable in the World Baseball Classic. They beat the Dominican Republic...again.

For the second time in the WBC, the huge underdogs from the Netherlands pulled out an improbable victory over the major league-rich Dominican Republic, knocking the favored Dominicans out of the tournament.

If you missed the game last night, you missed a terrific baseball game. If you like pitcher's duels, this was as close as you could get to one in the pitch count-enforced round.

Scoreless entering the eleventh inning and down to two outs, New York Mets' shortstop Jose Reyes worked a two out walk. As a Phillies' fan, I am very aware of the threat that Reyes presents on the base path, and I was concerned for the lovable underdogs that I have been pulling for in this tournament.

Reyes would score from first when Netherlands' right fielder Eugene Kingsale misplayed a Jose Bautista line drive and missed a diving catch that would have ended the inning.

Instead, Bautista ended up at third base as the ball went to the wall and Reyes scored the game's first run, setting off a wild celebration by the Dominican players on the field and in the dug out.

I have nothing against the country or the good people of the Dominican Republic, but watching Reyes celebrate with his typical cocky and arrogant personality made my blood boil.

As Reyes headed to the dugout and sat proudly in the dugout with his smirk that seemed to say, "I'm the man and the world will know it." I said to myself "I hope they lose."

Of course, for the Dominicans to lose, the Netherlands would have to do something that they hadn't done since the first inning in the teams' first meeting (score a run). Plus, they would have to do it twice to pick up the win. They got right to work, after recording the final out.

Sidney de Jong smacked a double to left center field to start the inning and immediately set some fear in the Dominican fans—and I would like to think the players. de Jong moved to third on an infield ground out and would score when Kingsale hit a single into right field, making up for his error in the top of the inning.

Kingsale would reach third base when Dominican reliever and Chicago Cubs' closer, Carlos Marmol, threw a wild pickoff to first base. The ball bounced off of the fence and wound up in right field.

The winning run was only ninety feet away for baseball's version of Cinderella. After one time Phillie Randall Simon (one of the very few major leaguers on the Netherlands team) was intentionally walked, Yurendell DeCaster had a chance to bring in the winning run.

DeCaster hit a bouncing ball to first base where Willy Aybar was. The ball bounced off of Aybar's glove and headed to foul territory. Kingsale raced home and DeCaster slid into first base to beat the throw from Aybar.

DeCaster was safe. The Netherlands scored their second run of the inning. And won.

March is generally a month focused on college basketball, but the Netherlands are taking the terms Cinderella and March Madness off of the court and on to the diamond. The Netherlands clinched a spot in the second round of the WBC and will face Puerto Rico to determine the Pool D winner. Puerto Rico also has a spot reserved in the second round.

All of a sudden, all of the dancing done by the Dominicans in the top of the 11th was for nothing. Let this be a lesson to everyone. Celebrate after a win; not during a loss.