All eyes trained on Stern

PHOENIX -- Upon arriving at Chase Field yesterday morning, Adam Stern found himself in quite a dilemma.

He was let off adjacent to the stadium, near the railroad tracks. Usually not a big thing, but on this day a long freight train was blocking his path to the locker room door -- and the train wasn't moving. So Stern had to walk up two flights of stairs to a pedestrian bridge, ring a buzzer at a closed door, and explain he was a ballplayer for the Canadian team. He finally was let through, but had to walk through some offices and down to the locker room.

The long journey was worth it, however.

Once in the building, Stern, the Red Sox' Rule 5 draftee from the Atlanta Braves a year ago who spent much of last season on the disabled list, vaulted his way into Canadian folklore with what some were calling the greatest baseball game ever by a Canadian, in a stunning 8-6 win over the United States in the first round of the World Baseball Classic before a crowd of 16,993.

The diminutive center fielder tripled home Canada's second run in the second inning, after Vernon Wells had misplayed Aaron Guiel's triple the at-bat before him. Stern knocked in two more runs in the third with a bases-loaded single. And in the fifth, he stroked a ball off the base of the left-field fence on which US left fielder Matt Holliday twisted his ankle. The ball ricocheted toward center and by the time Holliday limped after it, Stern had scored on an inside-the-park homer. He finished a double short of the cycle.

Stern also made two superb defensive plays -- a diving stab of Jeff Francoeur's sinking liner in the sixth, and he also robbed Chase Utley of extra bases with a leaping catch against the center-field wall that may have tied the score.

Stern helped Canada build an 8-0 lead against a US team that played sloppily and pitched poorly, as starter Dontrelle Willis was touched for five runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings in throwing the maximum 65 pitches.

Jason Varitek's fifth-inning grand slam -- a ball hit 448 feet righthanded -- brought the US back, cutting the deficit to 8-6, but it never got closer. The US couldn't solve Canada starter Adam Loewen, who pitched at Single A Frederick last season in the Orioles' organization. The five pitchers Canada used have 12 innings of major league experience.

''I'm not a celebrity," said Stern, when told his performance might launch him into that category. ''That's not what I am. I'm a team guy. I was just pleased to get big hits to help our team win."

Stern, who batted ninth yesterday, will likely start the season on the Sox' roster because he needs 17 games under Rule 5 to remain with Boston or he must be offered back to Atlanta. He was reminded of Sox teammates ribbing him that he wouldn't even miss an exhibition game because Canada would likely be eliminated quickly. Canada is now 2-0, while the US is 1-1 and needs the help of tiebreakers and a win over South Africa tomorrow to stave off an embarrassing elimination.

''I got to make a few calls tonight," Stern said of Sox teammates. ''But they're just joking, giving me a hard time. They don't think we play baseball up there. They said, 'You won't even miss an exhibition game. You're not even potentially in the lineup.' "

Because of tiebreakers that include runs scored, Varitek's grand slam may have helped the US, though that was no consolation to the catcher, who said, ''Our backs are definitely against the wall."

''He had a couple of really outstanding at-bats," said Varitek of Stern. ''Adam is swinging the bat really good."

Stern thought the fact that the Canadians had to battle for an 11-8 win over South Africa Tuesday night might have gained them some momentum.

''Over 162 [games], I don't know if we'd fare so hot," Stern admitted. ''One game, you've got to go out there and bust it. That's what we did. USA is the most talented. I won't lie. It's the time of year it comes down to one game and you don't know what's going to happen."

US manager Buck Martinez described the loss as being ''kicked in the stomach." Martinez said the team needs to concentrate on South Africa, with Roger Clemens on the hill.

The Americans never thought they would be put on the spot. They can blame Adam Stern.