So Far, We're The NL West Of The Olympics

Notable Olympic happenings from Friday ... The Cuban Dream Team rolled the U.S. in baseball, 5-4 in 11 innings on Friday, sending our friendly island neighbors well toward their way to a fourth gold medal in five years. We're now 0-2 1-2, but still alive, wishing that Bud Selig would have scheduled a two-week August break in the majors so that all of our Cubans could play theirs. Then we'd show 'em.Of course, the way Cuba won was kind of lame. The newly adopted extra-inning rule calls for, starting in the 11th, runners to start on first and second and teams can start at any point in their batting order. Yes, like in softball. The rule got used for the first time Friday, twice. In the other early game, China earned its first ever Olympic victory with an 8-7 win over Taiwan in 12 innings. In a metaphor of what was soon to come, Jayson Nix fouled a ball off his left eye to start the bottom of the 11th for the U.S. • Hot Chile Comin' Through. So the men's tennis final is the matchup you've all been waiting for; Fernando Gonzales of Chile vs. Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic. James Blake, who upset Roger Federer on Thursday, came up short in the semis, 4-6, 7-5, 11-9. Then in the true spirit of the Games, he accused Gonzales of cheating. Blake said that Gonzales failed to admit the truth about a disputed point two games before the finish. "I've spoken all week about how much I've enjoyed the Olympic experience, how much I love the spirit of it," Blake said. "That's a disappointing way to exit the tournament, when you not only lose the match, but you lose a little faith in your fellow competitor." Actually Blake will play for the bronze medal on Saturday. Somebody should tell him. • The Write Stuff. Quiet if you please, I'm trying to read Natasha Kai's tattoo. The Flyin' Hawaiian, as she's called, headed in an extra-time goal, giving the defending Olympic champion United States a 2-1 win over Canada in women's soccer. The win put the U.S. in the semifinals. Brazil beat Norway 2-1 earlier Friday. Also, Japan beat China 2-0. • Zorro Curiously Absent. France won the team gold medal in men's epee fencing, beating Poland in the title bout. The French trio of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis Jerome Jeannet, Fabrice Jeannet and Ulrich Robeiri won 45-29 in the gold medal bout. Poland took the silver, and Italy won the bronze.