Vinnie 'Uncle Sam' Pestano wants YOU to support Team USA in the World Baseball Classic

The U.S. makes its 2013 World Baseball Classic debut Friday night, taking on Mexico at Phoenix's Chase Field. Earlier in the day, Indians reliever and Team USA member Vinnie Pestano was fired up about it on Twitter -- and went very, very patriotic to say so.

Puerto Rico advances and eliminate Venezuela

Venezuelans, with a fearsome lineup full of figures like Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Gonzalez, connected five of their seven hits against starter Nelson Figueroa, but failed to do much about the relievers Giovanni Soto, JC Romero and Fernando Cabrera.

Figueroa (1-0) got the win, Soto worked three perfect innings of relief. Romero allowed one run in the ninth and closed the door Cabrera for his first save.

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Act of mercy: Hayato Sakamoto hits a grand slam in the seventh inning of Japan's 16-4 win over the Netherlands at Tokyo Dome on Sunday night. Right: Japan starter Kenta Maeda delivers a pitch against the Netherlands at Tokyo Dome on Sunday night. | AFP-JIJI, AP

Japan pounds Netherlands to reach WBC final round

Power surge propels Japan over Dutch into semis

By Jason Coskrey / Special to MLB.com | 3/10/2013 10:40 A.M. ET

Forget pitching and defense, on this night, Japan was digging the long ball.

Takashi Toritani led off the game with a home run, and the Japanese added five more to emphatically punch their ticket to the semifinals of the 2013 World Baseball Classic with a 16-4 thumping of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Sunday night at Tokyo Dome. The game was called after the seventh inning due to the mercy rule.

"Everyone thinks the Japanese team plays small baseball," Japan manager Koji Yamamoto said. "I didn't expect that we'd hit six home runs."

The victory gives Japan a 2-0 record in the second round and a berth in the final round of the Classic at San Francisco's AT&T Park. The semifinals are scheduled for March 17-18, with the title being decided on March 19.

"We saw a very good hitting team come out today on the Japanese side," said Hensley Meulens, the manager of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. "Our pitchers kept the ball up today, and they capitalized on those mistakes. They didn't miss any of the balls we left up."

The Japanese offense erupted for 10 extra-base hits in the rout.

Japan had just two -- a pair of doubles by Yoshio Itoi -- after its first four games of the Classic, but had hit four home runs by the time the shellshocked Dutch came up to bat in the bottom of the fourth.

Toritani, among the least likely candidates to go deep, sent the second pitch of the game sailing into the seats in right.

"It was a huge home run," Yamamoto said. "The Netherlands has a strong offense. Toritani gave us a big, brave performance."

Nobuhiro Matsuda hit a two-run homer in the second and Seiichi Uchikawa used the long ball to bring in three more later in the inning. Atsunori Inaba continued the home-run parade with a solo blast in the third, and Itoi hit a three-run shot in the fourth.

Hayato Sakamoto added a grand slam in the seventh to give Japan its sixth home run, matching the single-game Classic record Cuba set in 2009.

The Japanese also scored runs on doubles by Matsuda and Shinnosuke Abe.

The win had to be a welcome change of pace for Japan's fans, who sweated through close games in the team's victories against Brazil, China and Chinese Taipei.

While Japan's hitters were busy knocking around Dutch pitching, starter Kenta Maeda was dominating the Kingdom of the Netherlands' batters.

"I was trying to not give up any extra-base hits," Maeda said. "I have to thank my offense. They scored first. That gave me confidence."

Maeda threw five scoreless innings to earn the win. The Hiroshima Carp ace struck out nine on 66 pitches and allowed only Curt Smith's second-inning single over five innings.

"He was as good as advertised," Meulens said, "good fastball, good slider, threw some good curveballs, kept us off balance and got a bunch of runs early. So he was cruising."

The win was the second of the Classic for Maeda, who beat China in the first round and has allowed two hits and struck out 15 over 10 innings in two starts.

"I got a great result in my last outing," Maeda said. "I think I pitched better [tonight]. My personal condition is getting better, and so far, tonight is the best."

The Dutch salvaged some measure of pride in the sixth on a three-run double by Wladimir Balentien, and an RBI single from Andruw Jones, both off reliever Tetsuya Utsumi.

Dutch starter Rob Cordemans allowed six runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings to take the loss.

Meulens came away from the game with a renewed admiration for Japan's pitchers.

"I think the pitchers work very hard over here, throwing a lot of pitches all the time, and they have really, really good control and they keep the ball down as you can see today with Maeda. He's probably one of the top pitchers here in Japan," Meulens said. "He doesn't make many mistakes at all. In fact, none of the guys make many mistakes, except the ball that was left a little up to Wladimir [in the seventh]."

The victory sends two-time defending champion Japan into the semifinals of the Classic. Cuba and the Kingdom of the Netherlands will square off in an elimination game on Monday to decide which of them will make the trek to the United States with the champions.

The Dutch will need to bounce back quickly against the Cubans, who looked formidable on Saturday during a 14-0 rout of Chinese Taipei that was stopped after the top of the seventh due to the mercy rule.

[ One Word "WOW" ]

PHOENIX --

The United States and Canada started their journeys in this year's World Baseball Classic with crushing defeats, and the second round in Miami had to seem far away.

It's a lot closer now. In fact, all it takes is one win. But to get that victory, the teams will have to face off against each other.

With Italy already qualified and ready to take its talents to South Beach to get ready for the second round, the first round of Pool D will come down to Sunday afternoon's game.

So who'll it be? The Stars and Stripes or the Maple Leaf?

A sure-to-be-fired-up crowd at Chase Field and on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes will find out, starting with the first pitch at 4 p.m. ET. Texas Rangers left-hander Derek Holland will take the ball for the U.S. against Canada's starter, right-hander Jameson Taillon, a 21-year-old top prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

"We want to go to Miami," Team USA second baseman Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds said. "We really want to play for the country. That's what it's all about. So hopefully, we can go out there and just play the game that we did [Saturday], and then we'll be going to Miami."

The Americans know they're in for a battle. They saw a tough, single-minded Canada team effectively knock Mexico out of the tournament on Saturday, and they also saw the ninth-inning benches-clearing incident that erupted between the Canadians and Mexicans.

Team USA manager Joe Torre was asked if he expected the fight to affect the way Canada would come into the winner-take-all matchup on Sunday, and he shook his head.

"Well, they have the same thing at stake that we do, fight or no fight," Torre said. "You don't need to get motivated to win a Game 7. And that's what, basically, this is tomorrow."

Canada skipper Ernie Whitt echoed those sentiments. He was already looking forward to Sunday's game after the end of Saturday's controversial affair.

"We have accomplished one step of that right now, and we have got one more step to go," Whitt said. "It's going to be a tough task, but we know what we have to do and we'll be ready."

Minnesota slugger Justin Morneau, who had four hits on Saturday for Canada, said his club wouldn't carry over negativity from one day to the next.

"We didn't bring yesterday's game into today's game, and we won't bring today's game into tomorrow's game," Morneau said Saturday. "We'll start over again, and hopefully it's a good, clean game, but you never know what's going to happen."

Phillips said he hopes what happens looks a lot like what happened for Team USA on Saturday.

"It's a good feeling just knowing that we have a chance to really go to Miami," Phillips said.

"It feels good. Just the way we played today, it was beautiful. Hopefully, we can take that into the game tomorrow and try to get a win, because we really want this bad."

United States: Bullpen well-rested

The Americans got a break Saturday when Nationals starter Ross Detwiler spared the club's bullpen by finishing off the game with four scoreless innings, setting up Torre's relief corps well for Sunday.

"That was our plan," Torre said. "We were going to use Detwiler to piggyback, and I love the way he pitched. It would have been nice if he had about another eight or nine more pitches, because again, our goal is to make sure these guys get the work they need so when we do return them to their clubs, that they're at the part of Spring Training they need to be. But he was great. But this was our plan and we were hoping for this result, obviously."

Canada: Taillon ready for task

Taillon was the second overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft. The 6-foot-6 right-hander was 9-8 with a 3.55 ERA in stints at Class A and Double-A last year and is ranked as the 15th-best overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com.

"I'm excited to be here," Taillon said. "I'm really excited that I got such a great opportunity on such a big stage. I'm really looking forward to it. Going into it, [I've] just got an attitude that we got nothing to lose, go out there, give it everything and it's in our hands now. We've got to do what we can do."

Worth noting

Although three Canadian players -- Pete Orr, Rene Tosoni and Jay Johnson -- were ejected from Saturday's game, none have been suspended from the Classic. Mexico, which had four players thrown out of the game, was eliminated when the United States beat Italy.

[ That was a gutsy call and the right call. The pool for Team USA was easy enough without having to play Canada short handed. Also, drag bunting for a basehit with a 6 run lead in the 9th was the right call for Team Canada. That play instigated the brawl although there were a couple of minor incidents which preceded the bunt. I don't think Team Mexico understood what the ramifcations were. Since the first tie breaker to decide who advances to the next round is total runs scored, Canada had to score as many runs as they could muster up since they had 10 runs scored against them when Team Italy put the mercy rule on them in the first game played. ]

Late Saturday night, World Baseball Classic, Inc., issued the following statement about the fight: "We are extremely disappointed in the bench-clearing incident that marred the conclusion of today's game between Canada and Mexico. The episode runs counter to the spirit of sportsmanship and respectful competition for which the World Baseball Classic has stood throughout its history.

"After communicating with both the Mexican and Canadian baseball federations this evening, we are aware of the perspectives held by both sides in a competitive environment. Nevertheless, we relayed to both teams that such an altercation is inappropriate under any circumstances and has no place in baseball.

"Because at least one club -- and potentially both -- will not advance to the second round, WBCI has determined that disciplinary measures would not have a meaningful corrective impact. Thus, discipline will not be imposed beyond today's seven game ejections. It is our firm expectation that the members of Team Mexico, Team Canada and all the tournament's participating teams will learn from this incident and set a better example -- one that befits the sport they share -- in the future."

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Italy, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic advance to second round

USA, Canada will battle for second round on Sunday – Chinese Taipei, Mexico, Venezuela and Spain go home

Tokyo/San Juan/Phoenix.


The 2013 World Baseball Classic continued with five games on Saturday. It all started at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, where Cuba crushed Chinese Taipei behind four home runs to stay alive. Chinese Taipei has been eliminated.

Meanwhile the first round continued in Pools C and D. In San Juan, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic each earned their second wins on Saturday, advancing to the second round. Venezuela and Spain remained winless and will go home after Sunday’s first-round conclusion.

In Phoenix the fans at Chase Field saw two intense games. In the afternoon Canada beat Mexico for their first win in a very heated game. Mexico will go home with a 1-2 record. In the evening Team USA came back against Italy to stay alive. Italy still advances to the second round. Canada and the US will battle for the last open second-round spot on Sunday.

Second Round:
Cuba 14 – Chinese Taipei 0

Cuba remains in contention at the 2013 World Baseball Classic after a 14-0 blowout against Chinese Taipei. The game was highlighted by an eight-run sixth and four Cuban home runs by Frederich Cepeda, Yasmany Tomas, Jose Abreu and Alfredo Despaigne. Chinese Taipei, which had won Pool B in Taichung, has been eliminated after its second loss in the double elimination round.

First Round:
Mexico 3 – Canada 10

Canada scored four runs in the first and six runs in the last four frames en route to a 10-3 win over Mexico. It was their first victory at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which keeps them in contention for the second round. Mexico got eliminated with a 1-2 record. Justin Morneau and Michael Saunders led the way on Saturday afternoon at Chase Field. The number four and five of the Maple Leafs batting order combined for eight hits and six RBI in a heated affair.

Italy 2 – USA 6

Italy lost 2-6 to Team USA in the evening game at Chase Field in Phoenix on Saturday, but still advances as second European team besides the Netherlands into the second round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The United States overcame an early 0-2 deficit and won thanks to a grand slam by David Wright in the top of the fifth. It was the first win of the US, which can claim first place in Pool D with a win over Canada on Sunday.

Spain 3 – Dominican Republic 6

The Dominican Republic has a much better World Baseball Classic as four years ago. The team of manager Tony Pena defeated Spain 6-3 on Saturday afternoon at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It has been their second win in as many games in Pool C of the first round at the 2013 WBC. It was the second loss for Spain. Nelson Cruz and Carlos Santana combined for four RBI.

Venezuela 3 – Puerto Rico 6

One of the big favorites considered to win the 2013 World Baseball Classic will have to go home after the first round. Venezuela also lost its second game in Pool C on Saturday evening. Puerto Rico prevailed in a close contest by a score of 6-3. It was the second win in as many games for the host of the first-round group at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. Mike Aviles drove in three of the six runs for Puerto Rico.

Standings

Pool C:
1) Puerto Rico 2-0
1) Dominican Republic 2-0
3) Spain 0-2
3) Venezuela 0-2

Pool D:
1) Italy 2-1
2) USA 1-1
2) Canada 1-1
4) Mexico 1-2

Outlook

The 2013 World Baseball Classic continues on Sunday. It all starts at the Tokyo Dome, where the Netherlands and Japan already will determine the first semifinalist with a guaranteed ticket towards San Francisco. The loser of the matchup will have to face Cuba on Monday during the double elimination phase.

In San Juan and Phoenix the first round will get closed out. Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will square off to play for first place in Pool C. Spain and Venezuela try to leave the tournament with their first win. In Pool D Canada and Team USA will battle for the last second round spot in Miami. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Italy are already qualified for the next stage at the Marlins Park.

Schedule

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Second Round:
19:00 Netherlands – Japan (Tokyo Dome in Tokyo)

First Round:
12:30 Venezuela – Spain (Pool C, Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan)
13:00 Canada – USA (Pool D, Chase Field in Phoenix)
19:30 Puerto Rico – Dominican Republic (Pool C, Hiram Birthorn Stadium in San Juan)

USA rallies past Canada late to advance in Classic

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com | 3/10/2013 9:18 P.M. ET

PHOENIX --

Team USA is going to Miami, and oh what a relief it is.

With a spot in the second round of the World Baseball Classic on the line, the U.S. came from behind twice on Sunday to defeat Canada, 9-4, at Chase Field. The Americans, who scored three times in the eighth to decide the game on an Adam Jones two-run double and Shane Victorino's RBI single, will move on to Marlins Park from Pool D along with Italy to meet the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

First baseman Eric Hosmer put the game out of reach with a bases-clearing double in the top of the ninth inning off Canada closer John Axford.

The Americans narrowly avoided their earliest exit from the tournament, now in its third running. They've never finished higher than fourth. The Canadians still haven't made it out of the first round. Mexico was the other team that didn't survive the pool this weekend.

"Well, it's not a relief, because we have been teasing ourselves," U.S. manager Joe Torre said. "Last night [in a 6-2 win over Italy], we had the one big inning. We had too many opportunities [today] with too many good people up at the plate. We really don't have a soft spot in that lineup. I guess we have to get behind to all of a sudden think about it. But they were very aggressive today and it really helped us."

The tournament won't get any easier. The U.S. is the top seed out of this bracket heading to Miami and will play an 8 p.m. ET game on Tuesday against either the D.R. or Puerto Rico. Italy will play in the 1 p.m. ET game. The games will all be broadcast nationally by MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

As opposed to the round-robin format in the first round, the next round will be double-elimination, meaning the teams to win two games each advance and the teams which lose twice are out.

The defending two-time Classic champion Japanese were the first team to qualify for the semifinals on either March 17 or 18 in San Francisco's AT&T Park. The final game is there on March 19.

Like its first games, the U.S. fell behind by two runs early as Canada took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run homer by Michael Saunders off left-hander Derek Holland, who went five innings, allowing four hits and left with the score tied at 2.

Saunders, the Mariners' right fielder, was named Most Valuable Player of the pool after going 8-for-11 with seven RBIs in the three games.

"It's definitely an honor," Saunders said. "However, it's kind of a sour taste in my mouth right now. Whenever you represent your country, it really doesn't matter how you do, as long as you win. And that was the main focus today. We played a tough game, and obviously the U.S. came out on top, but we're holding our heads high. We came to this tournament prepared and we felt like we played well. A few innings didn't go our way, but I think we played well and I think we showed the world that Canada is here to stay."

The U.S., which lost its opener to Mexico in the pool and then came back to defeat Italy and Canada, had numerous chances to score on Sunday. The Americans squandered runners in scoring position in the first, second and seventh innings, finally breaking through to take the lead against reliever Jimmy Henderson in the eighth.

The U.S. was trailing, 3-2, and had runners on first and second moving as Henderson delivered to Jones, who lined the pitch into left-center for the double that gave America the lead for good. Victorino, 0-for-3 in the game and 0-for-11 with the Red Sox this spring coming into the Classic, singled home Jones.

With Jones at the plate, Torre had just sent Willie Bloomquist to second to run for Joe Mauer. It was Bloomquist who read the play and took off on the pitch with David Wright at first base trailing.

"Knowing Bloomquist and Wright, those are guys who are perennial basestealers," Jones said. "I played with Bloomy in Seattle, and any time he gets on base, he doesn't want to stay on that base too long. It was a good pitch for him to go on and it was a good pitch for me to hit. I was glad that I didn't try and do too much, didn't get distracted by the runners, and just was able to put a good swing on a good pitch to hit."

For Canada, the loss was just another bitter pill. In 2009 at Toronto, the U.S. won the opener of the pool at Rogers Centre against the Canadians, effectively sending them on to elimination. Again this year, Canada lost its opener, 14-4, to Italy in a game that ended in the eighth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Canada redeemed itself on Saturday by defeating Mexico in a game that was marred by a benches-clearing incident in the ninth inning.

Both the U.S. and Canada had to play themselves out of 0-1 holes to get to this single-elimination confrontation. And in the end, it turned out to be too much for Canada.

"I think it's exciting for baseball, to be honest with you," long-time Canada manager Ernie Whitt said. "Did we want to get mercied in the first game? Absolutely not. But it happened. And like I said yesterday, Mexico did us a favor by beating the U.S., which just gave us an opportunity. We knew what we had to do, we just fell short today.

"I'm not happy with the results. I thought it was a good ballgame. They got some key hits in timely situations, and so you tip your hat to them."

The burden of expectation should probably weigh more heavily on a young pitcher being groomed for stardom.

Jameson Taillon is the highest-drafted Canadian in major-league history after being taken second overall – one spot behind Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper – in 2010. He’s the pitcher the Pittsburgh Pirates hope will one day anchor their starting rotation.

He’s also Canada’s wild card at the World Baseball Classic.

Taillon will start against the United States on Sunday, a strategy Canada hopes will surprise its powerful rival in the same way Adam Loewen did when he held the U.S. scoreless in an 8-6 win in 2006. Taillon’s being asked to give Canada a chance against all-star hitters such as Ryan Braun, David Wright and Giancarlo Stanton.

No sweat. Taillon can’t wait.

“I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating,” said Taillon. “For me, I’ve really got nothing to lose. Those guys are five-, six-, 10-time all-stars, so I’m just going to go out there and have some fun with it, see what I can do.”

Any fear Taillon might have felt was wiped away last Thursday during his first spring training start for the Pirates against the Boston Red Sox, when he gave up one unearned run and one hit with three strikeouts through two innings.

“I’m out there facing, I don’t even remember who it was, it was a big leaguer,” he said. “And I was sitting there and I was like, ‘Man, how am I going to get this guy out? I watched him on TV. How am I going to get him out?’ It worked out well for me, but I think getting that experience out of the way, I’ll be fine going into this.”

At 21, Taillon is the youngest player on the Canadian team. Before the team’s roster was announced, many of Taillon’s teammates didn’t even know he was Canadian. Born in Winter Haven, Fla., to Canadian parents, Taillon grew up in the U.S. The six-foot-six, 225-pound right hander holds dual citizenship and played for USA Baseball as a junior.

When Baseball Canada offered him a roster spot that wouldn’t have been available on a stacked U.S. squad, Taillon accepted. It didn’t go over well with everyone.

“I think I shocked a lot of people when I decided to do this,” he said. “But it’s something my parents made sure we knew when we were young is that we’re dual citizens. And they always said it will pay off in the future and they made sure we got cultured both ways so I think this is a pretty cool opportunity for me.”

If people were upset, it’s because Taillon gives Canada a powerful arm. He’s got four pitches – four-seam and two-seam fastballs that touch 94-97 miles per hour, a curveball he calls his strikeout pitch and a change-up he is developing.

He’s also quickly moving up in the Pirates’ minor-league system. After spending most of last season with a single-A team, Taillon finished the year with three games in double-A. In those few games, he finished with 18 strikeouts, just one walk and a 1.59 earned-run average in 17 innings pitched.

Taillon and pitching prospect Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh’s No. 1 pick in 2011, represent hope for a franchise trying to return to relevance. Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said he’s impressed with Taillon’s progress so far.

“He’s on a good pace for getting better,” he said. “He’s a great person, he’s a hard worker, he comes from an unbelievable family and he’s taken some quality steps forward for us.”

Taillon was 18 when he was drafted. One year prior the Nationals drafted Stephen Strasburg with the top pick and only waited a year before calling up the ace pitcher to the majors.

At first, Taillon said he thought more about the expectations for his career. Nobody wants to be a draft bust, but Taillon has learned to relax and embrace the Pirates’ hopes for him.

Pirates reliever Chris Leroux, who will start for Canada against Mexico on Saturday, said Taillon has one of the best arms he’s ever seen. He added Taillon’s potential goes beyond the Pirates’ rotation, and that he could be one of baseball’s top pitchers.

“He’s a really quiet guy and he just goes about his business,” said Leroux. “He’s not nervous at all about the World Baseball Classic. He’s a very confident kid. He knows he’s got all the skill sets that it takes to become a dominant pitcher. I’m excited to see him pitch to be quite honest.”

Huntington said he had no reservations about his players competing in the WBC – besides Taillon and Leroux, Pirates closer Jason Grilli is also playing for Italy – but Baseball Canada’s Greg Hamilton, the director of national teams, said his team is taking care with one of the Pirates’ prized prospects.

Initially Canada planned to start Scott Mathieson on Sunday, but the team decided Taillon might provide more of a surprise against the Americans.

“He has a big arm,” said Hamilton, adding that Taillon makes up for his lack of experience with a pitching arsenal that he hopes U.S. batters will struggle with. “His stuff is major-league calibre now. It’s plus major-league calibre right now.

“You’re going to have to come in and deal with a mid-90s fastball and a plus breaking ball from him. He’s a big, strong guy who’s coming at you.”

Taillon hasn’t been told what his future will be following the WBC. There’s a chance he moves up to triple-A, but he won’t be surprised by a season in double-A. Barring a major setback, Taillon is on his way to the Pirates’ rotation eventually.

There’s also the chance he could still pitch for the U.S. in the future, but Taillon said if he has to choose he won’t forget the opportunity Canada has given him. He’s looking forward to showing off what he can do.

“I feel like going into the game I’ve got nothing to lose,” he said. “I’m a younger guy, I haven’t made my major league debut yet. That’s how I’m approaching it – nothing to lose. I know if I make my pitches, I’ve got the stuff that I feel can get anyone in the world out.”

Jameson Taillon didn't get much press today, but his effort shouldn't go un-noticed. Taillon handcuffed the star studded lineup for 4 innings. He walked away after 4 innings of work. He was efficient throwing 52 pitches, 34 for strikes, and 13 pitches under the official rules of 65 for the first round. He gave up 4 hits and 2 runs but only 1 of the runs were earned. He struck out 3 and walked 1. And, oh, by the way, Taillon just turned 21 and his level high is double "A". Nice effort for the young man.

Initially Canada planned to start Scott Mathieson on Sunday, but the team decided Taillon might provide more of a surprise against the Americans.

“He has a big arm,” said Hamilton, adding that Taillon makes up for his lack of experience with a pitching arsenal that he hopes U.S. batters will struggle with. “His stuff is major-league calibre now. It’s plus major-league calibre right now.

“You’re going to have to come in and deal with a mid-90s fastball and a plus breaking ball from him. He’s a big, strong guy who’s coming at you.”


The gamble paid off. Canada's relief corp didn't appear to be up to the challenge.

Cubans, Dutch meet with Classic survival at stake

By Jason Coskrey / Special to MLB.com | 3/10/2013 3:15 P.M. ET

TOKYO --

The goal is simple for Cuba and the Kingdom of the Netherlands: win or go home.

Japan has already booked its spot in the final round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, while Cuba and the Kingdom of the Netherlands will meet on Monday to decide which team will join the two-time defending Classic champions in San Francisco.

The Cubans and the Dutch have already met once in this edition of the Classic, a second-round matchup that the Kingdom of the Netherlands won, 6-2.

"That's what it's come down to," the Kingdom of the Netherlands' manager Hensley Meulens said. "We have to be very good tomorrow to beat another good team in Cuba. We beat them the first game, but tomorrow is a different story."

The winner will join Japan in the final round of the Classic, which will be held in San Francisco's AT&T Park, home of the World Series champion Giants. Monday's winning team will face the Japanese on Tuesday to decide seeding in the semifinals. The loser is eliminated from the tournament.

The Dutch are coming off a 16-4 beating at the hands of Japan, yielding six home runs in the defeat on Sunday.

"We have to pitch better [on Monday], keep the ball down, keep the ball in the ballpark," Meulens said. "We gave up six home runs today, and it's hard to win like that. We have to regroup, turn the page tonight, get back tomorrow here and prepare for Cuba, get good pitching.

"We still hit the ball a little bit today, but it was a little bit too late. ... [We need to] score early and give our pitchers a chance to hold the game. But we are going to have pitch a lot better tomorrow to beat the Cubans."

The Netherlands' only offense against Japan came in the sixth inning, on a three-run double by Wladimir Balentien and an RBI single by former Braves star Andruw Jones.

The Dutch will have to bounce back quickly to be ready for Monday's game with Cuba.

"Tomorrow is a new game, and we are going to come out and play hard like we have done before," Balentien said. "I have confidence in my teammates, so I think tomorrow we'll be all right."

The Cuban offense caught fire in an elimination game against Chinese Taipei on Saturday. Cuba hit four home runs and scored 14 runs before the game was called at 14-0 after the top of the seventh, due to the mercy rule.

Jose Abreu, Frederich Cepeda, and Yasmani Tomas hit multi-run homers and Alfredo Despaigne hit a solo shot for Cuba in the win.

"It is a very difficult situation, unless you've got ... great location, because Cuba hits early in the count and they have got great power -- and they are hitting a certain pitch or certain location," Chinese Taipei manager Chang-Heng Hsieh said of pitching to the Cubans on Saturday through a translator. "In order to get outs, you need a money pitch to get through Cuba's lineup."

Clutch Dutch stun Cuba, walk off to semis

By Jason Coskrey / Special to MLB.com | 3/11/2013 1:20 P.M. ET

March Madness came early this year.

The NCAA college basketball tournament is still a few weeks ways away, but Cinderella is already dancing after Kalian Sams hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the Kingdom of the Netherlands into the 2013 World Baseball Classic semifinals with 7-6 victory over Cuba on Monday night at Tokyo Dome.

"I can look back to two historic days before this one," the Kingdom of the Netherlands' manager Hensley Meulens said. "One of them I was a part of, beating the Cubans at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. The other one was becoming the world champions for the first time in the history of Dutch baseball in 2011, against Cuba, in Panama [at the Baseball World Cup].

"This is the No. 1 best game that the Dutch have ever played. Coming from behind, tying the game up and taking the game in the bottom of the ninth. This game will go down as the biggest game in Dutch history .. .so far. There's more to come."

More may come soon as the win means the Kingdom of the Netherlands will join Japan at San Francisco's AT&T Park during the championship round of the Classic, which begins Sunday .

"That's why we're here," said Wladimir Balentien, an outfielder for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. "We're here to play, win.

"It feels great. This is something special we've got going on."

Cuba bowed out in the second round for the second consecutive Classic. Errors and miscues on the base paths contributed to the 2006 finalists' exit this year.

"It's hard to win the way we played," Cuban manager Victor Mesa said through a translator. "An elimination game is like a playoff game. If we can't play good defense, it's always tough to beat a good opponent."

The Dutch have had the Cubans' number as of late. The Kingdom of the Netherlands won the teams' second-round matchup on Friday and also beat the Cubans twice during the Baseball World Cup in 2011.

"It's true," Mesa said, "we cannot beat the Netherlands." The Cubans took a 6-4 lead in the eighth on an RBI single from Yasmani Tomas and Eriel Sanchez's sacrifice fly.

The Dutch, missing three players due to injury, bounced right back on Andrelton Simmons' game-tying two-run home in the bottom of the eighth.

"We had a couple of injuries and I felt like I had to step up," Simmons said. "I was looking at the pitcher, and he was coming in for the same pitch, and he left one where I like it pretty much, so I didn't miss it. I was really happy with tying the game up."

The Kingdom of the Netherlands loaded the bases with one away in the bottom of the ninth to set the stage for Sams' sacrifice fly.

"I tried to get the ball up in the air, and they were playing up and in," Sams said. "So I'm happy I put the ball in play and we got a run."

The Dutch drive to the semifinals was nearly derailed by a sudden onset of injuries.

A wrist injury kept Nationals outfielder Roger Bernadina out of the starting lineup; Balentien, the starting right fielder, was lost to what looked to be a strained quad in the second; and Yurendell DeCaster, who started at third and replaced Balentien in right, left with a leg injury in the fifth.

Despite the loss of three starters, the Kingdom of the Netherlands mustered enough strength to win a thrilling game.

"Everybody played together," Balentien said. "We missed our center fielder, then I went down, but those guys never give up. Those guys picked themselves up. I appreciate what they do. They just take care of business"

The game took place on the two-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan at 2:46 p.m. local time on March 11, 2011.

"My thoughts go out to those families still today that lost loved ones all over Japan," Meulens said.

A moment of silence was held before the game, and seven children from affected areas participated in a pregame ceremony.

"We wish them well," Mesa said before the game. "I respect all the Japanese people. They are very hard workers, they are very honest, and they are very independent. So I am hoping all the people move forward."

Andruw Jones got the Kingdom of the Netherlands out to an early lead with a sacrifice fly in the third, and Curt Smith drove in another run with an RBI single.

Cuba struck back in the top half of the fourth, on an RBI single by Jose Fernandez and a solo homer to straightaway center by Jose Abreu.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands scored a pair of runs without recording a hit in the bottom of the fourth, but Mesa's curious decision to use three consecutive pinch-hitters in the fifth helped set the stage for a two-run double by Yulieski Gourriel that tied the score at 4 for the Cubans.

Kingdom of the Netherlands reliever Loek Van Mil threw a scoreless inning to earn the win. Cuba's Yander Guevara was charged with the loss.

One word "WoW"

Are you kidding me??? If you thought (and you probably don't since you don't watch these games) that the last rendition of the Netherland's team was a miracle on turf, I can't say what you would call this rendition so far. Hensley Meulans and Bert Blyleven have this team under control. They are the definition of "cool", "calm", and "collected".

Two night ago, this Dutch team upset the Cubans in game 1. The Japanese put on a Sumarai clinic, blasting their way to a homer "cycle" against this team. The Japanese had 2 solo blasts, a 2-run homer, two 3-run homers, and a grand slam for a collective total of 6 big flys en route to a 16-4 thrashing. Six different Japanese player went deep. Itoi (1) , Inaba (1) , Matsuda (1) , Uchikawa (1) , Toritani (1) , and Sakamoto (1).

Tonight was a seesaw battle through 7 innings. Finally the Cubans took a 6-4 lead in the top of the 8th. The Dutch answered in the bottom of the 8th when Simmons (ATL) lined a t 2-run shot over the wall in left to tie the game at 6 apiece. The Cubans rallied in the 9th getting the first two runners on base but left runners stranded on 1st and 3rd with two out and their two top guns at the plate. Frederich Cepeda struck out and Jose Abreu lined out to the wall in center to retire the side.

The Dutch walked off with a 7-6 win in the bottom of the 9th.

The Eastern Prospect connection of [Xander Bogaerts (3B Red Sox), Andrelton Simmons (SS Braves) and Jonathan Schoop (2B Orioles) have been outstanding and are responsible for the spark this team has generated.

The Cubans had an excellent ballclub and should have advanced to San Francisco except for a manager that had this team on pins and needles in this entire tournament. If anyone watched any of these games, you would know what I mean. These players couldn't do anything right in his mind. He chastised them for any and every move they made. This guy was just aweful. You can chalk this loss up to a very hyper manager that did everything wrong.

Classic ratings set new highs in Japan, Taiwan

By Zack Meisel / MLB.com | 3/12/2013 5:15 P.M. ET

More people in Taiwan watched Japan's extra-inning triumph over Chinese Taipei on Friday than any other cable program in the country's history.

The World Baseball Classic second-round tilt -- in which Japan scored in the ninth inning to tie it and again in the 10th to win the game -- drew a 15.5 TV rating, the highest-rated cable program in Taiwan's history.

Elsewhere, Japan's 16-4 victory over the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Sunday registered a 22.1 rating and a 43 share in Japan, making it the most-viewed sporting event in the country in the last year. More people in Japan watched that Classic contest than the 2012 Olympics coverage and World Cup qualifying matches.

The ratings reflect the percentage of viewers aged 4 or older out of the total TV viewing population. The share represents the percentage of viewers in that age range out of all people who were watching TV.

Braves' Simmons thriving in Classic conditions

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | 3/11/2013 4:50 P.M. ET

VIERA, Fla. --

Before the Braves played the Yankees at Champion Stadium on March 10, 2012, Andruw Jones said he was not real familiar with fellow Curacao native Andrelton Simmons, who was making quite an impression through the early stages of his first Major League Spring Training.

One year and one day later, it seems safe to assume Jones and the rest of the baseball world are quite familiar with Simmons, who drilled a game-tying, two-out eighth-inning home run that helped the Kingdom of the Netherlands advance to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic with a 7-6 win over Cuba at Tokyo Dome on Monday.

"There wouldn't be any moments in Spring Training like that," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "I think it speaks real highly of Andrelton and his ability to perform under pressure."

With Simmons preparing to serve as Atlanta's leadoff hitter during what will be his first full Major League season, there have been some suggestions that it would have been best for him to stay with his team during Spring Training. Simmons, who became Atlanta's starting shortstop at beginning of June last year, played in just two Grapefruit League games before traveling to Taiwan on Feb. 23 to prepare for the first round.

But Wren and Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez have supported Simmons' decision to play in the Classic. Their belief was that the competitive atmosphere would prove much more beneficial to the 22-year-old shortstop than the more casual elements that surround the exhibition games he would have been playing in Florida.

"With all the risks come the rewards, and the rewards are seeing a guy come up in a big moment like that and perform," said Wren, who was in his office at Champion Stadium when Simmons delivered his home run deep into the left-field seats.

Gonzalez was watching the Netherlands-Cuba matchup while riding a bus on the way to Viera for Monday's game against the Nationals. He said some Braves players and coaches on the bus erupted when Simmons drilled Cuban left-hander Norberto Gonzalez's 2-1 pitch into the seats.

"Something special happens either defensively or offensively every time he gets near that baseball," the Braves' manager said. "It's fun and he's a great kid. He's fun to watch, and he's pretty darn good."

The Netherlands and Japan have clinched two of the four available spots in the championship round, which will begin in San Francisco on Sunday. The United States, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Italy will battle this week in Miami to determine who will earn the final two invitations to play in the semifinals.

The U.S. gained a spot in the second round with Sunday's 9-4 win over Canada in Phoenix. Braves closer Craig Kimbrel sealed the victory with a perfect ninth that included two strikeouts. While it was a non-save situation, the clinching situation provided Kimbrel an incentive that certainly would not have been present had he been completing an inning in an exhibition game.

"Those are the rewards from the [Classic], you're guys performing well and doing it under pressure," Wren said. "You know the next time they are in that situation, they know they can do it."

Simmons will not return to Braves camp before the championship game of the Classic is played on March 19. The same will be said of Kimbrel if the U.S. advances from Miami.

When Kimbrel revealed that he would participate in the Classic, some fans wondered if the experience would lead him to become fatigued down the stretch this upcoming season. So far, that has certainly not been an issue. His only appearance in the Classic came Sunday, when he took advantage of the five-run lead by completing his 16-pitch appearance with an exclusive display of fastballs.

"We're glad to get our guys back, but at the same time, they are getting some benefit from it as well," Wren said.

Shortstop Ramiro Pena and left-handed pitcher Daniel Rodriguez returned to Braves camp on Monday after competing for Mexico in the Classic. Both Wren and Gonzalez said they were closely watching Saturday's bench-clearing brawl between Mexico and Canada with the hope that their players did not get injured.

Pena will begin this upcoming season as Atlanta's backup middle infielder. After getting a chance to rest on Monday, he will likely man Simmons' shortstop position in Tuesday's game against the Cardinals.

"[Pena and Rodriguez] said they had a great experience and it was fun," Gonzalez said. "They were playing significant games in the month of March."

Abe helps Japan seal Pool 1 title over Netherlands

By Jason Coskrey / Special to MLB.com | 3/12/2013 8:24 A.M. ET

Tokyo --

Japan left the Pool 1 finale of the 2013 World Baseball Classic riding on cloud nine.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands was probably just glad to be leaving Japan.

Shinnosuke Abe drove in four runs with a pair of home runs in the second inning, and the Japanese never lost the lead, despite a few tense moments, in a 10-6 win over the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Tuesday at Tokyo Dome.

Japan claimed the top spot in Pool 1 with the victory and was 3-0 in the second round.

"In the first round, the opening game against Brazil was a very tough game," Japan manager Koji Yamamoto said. "As well as the Chinese Taipei game (to start the second round), that was also tough. We got through, and the team is united. The offense swung better and the pitchers pitched well."

Abe finished 2-for-2 with a solo home run and a three-run home run. Hisayoshi Chono had a three-run double and two-run single and Nobuhiro Matsuda finished 2-for-3 with an RBI single.

The Japanese beat the Dutch for the second consecutive game. Japan qualified for the championship round with a 16-4 victory over the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Sunday in a game that was called after seven innings due to the mercy rule.

Japan was cruising along with an 8-1 lead for much Tuesday's contest before the Dutch began chipping away at the lead.

"We scored eight in the second inning, but we couldn't score later on," Yamamoto said. "That's why the game became tough. Although we had a big inning early, we should've scored more."

Xander Bogaerts drove in a run for the Kingdom of the Netherlands with a single in the seventh, and Randolph Oduber made the score 8-3 with a sacrifice fly.

The Dutch were at it again in the eighth, scoring three on a Curt Smith groundout and RBI singles by Kalian Sams and Quintin De Cuba. Pitcher Hideaki Wakui struck out Oduber with runners on the corners to end the inning.

Bogaerts finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and was proud of the way his team dug itself out of an early hole.

"I guess our fighting spirit," Bogaerts said when asked to give a reason for the team's tenacity.

"I just think that it's trust and confidence in each other, that's what makes us a pretty good team, no matter how much we lose, just keep going.

Japan gave Kenji Otonari his second start of the Classic, and the lefty settled down after allowing a leadoff home run to improve to 1-1. Otonari struck out six over three innings.

"Without the home run, I feel great," Otonari said. "I think I pitched the way I can."

David Bergman allowed seven run on four hits over 1 2/3 inning to take the loss.

Both teams had already qualified for the championship round, but the win gives Japan the top spot in Pool 1.

The Japanese will face the Pool 2 runner-up when the championship round begins March 17 at San Francisco's AT&T Park. As the Pool 1 runner-up, the Kingdom of the Netherlands will face the Pool 2 winner March 18.

The winner of those games will meet in the Classic final on March 19.

"We have to clinch the semifinal," Yamamoto said. "We will use all our effort. Also, a tougher opponent is coming. So we want to play like a Japanese team, and I hope we can be a finalist."

The Dominican Republic, Italy, Puerto Rico and the United States are competing at Marlins Park in Miami to decide which two teams will join Japan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in San Francisco.

Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons led off the game with a solo home run -- just as Japan's Takashi Toritani did in their first meeting -- to give the Kingdom of the Netherlands an early 1-0 lead.

Japan exploded after that.

Abe began the bottom of the second with his solo shot, and Matsuda singled in a run with the bases loaded. Chono cleared the bases with his three-run double, and Abe stepped to the plate again to deliver his three-run shot later in the inning.

The Netherlands made it a game with its five late runs, but Chono tacked some insurance runs with an two-run single in the eighth.

"We got behind early in the game, in the second inning," Netherlands manager Hensley Meulens said. "They scored eight runs, but our guys never die. Just like the whole tournament so far, they battled back. We got good pitching to keep the game close.

"We got within two runs. We basically had the winning run at the plate in the eighth. Two guys on base, (Randolph) Oduber up there, and we had a chance to take the lead. He ended up striking out, but that's how these guys play. They play hard."

Record number of fans attend Classic's first round

By Cash Kruth / MLB.com | 3/11/2013 2:56 P.M. ET

A record number of fans have attended the World Baseball Classic thus far, as nearly a half-million fans cheered their favorite teams in the tournament's first round.

A total of 463,017 fans came through the gates for first-round games in Japan, Taiwan, Puerto Rico and Phoenix. The previous record entering the second round was 453,374 in 2009.

Among the highlights was the largest attendance ever in Taiwan, where 23,431 watched Chinese Taipei face Korea at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on March 5.

Baseball fans also flocked to Phoenix, where 115,183 watched first-round games-- easily surpassing the venue's previous first-round record of 91,205 in 2006. The first round's biggest draw was at Chase Field, as 44,256 were on hand for Friday's matchup between Team USA and Mexico. It was the second most-attended World Classic Baseball game in North America, trailing only the 2009 championship, which drew 54,846 to Dodger Stadium.

Pool C in San Juan attracted 95,058 fans, which was the highest World Baseball Classic attendance there in the tournament's history.

[ It appears that I'm not the only one in the U.S. watching these games My record is in tact. Through the modern age of technology and DVR's, I still have yet to miss an inning of classic baseball, and there have been some classic moments. This has been an awesome classic so far.]