Pestano to face Santana as USA meets Dominicans in Classic Vinnie Pestano and the U.S. will play Carlos Santana and the Dominicans today to go to the semis.

Aviles accounts for two runs in Classic win Mike Aviles drove in a run and scored as Puerto Rico beat Italy to play on in the World Baseball Classic.

WoW!

How fat is Santana?

Just the loose fitting garb, Sea

Lacking star power, Japan still on familiar path

Despite no Yu, Ichiro, Dice-K, country taking aim at third straight Classic title

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --

When sifting through Team Japan's World Baseball Classic roster, the absence of Major League stars like Yu Darvish, Ichiro Suzuki and two-time Classic Most Valuable Player Daisuke Matsuzaka is strikingly apparent.

But the way manager Koji Yamamoto sees it, the fact that his country's representation lacks big league property isn't a hindrance at all. Rather, it's an opportunity, a chance for a new crop of Japanese players to make an impression on what they hope are potential future employers.

"It's motivating for these players now, because a lot of them don't have experience here, but they have a lot of interest in it," Yamamoto said through an interpreter. "Hopefully this will be a good start for these guys to know what the Major Leagues are all about. If they can compete here, then that becomes another challenge for them."

Easily advancing through the first two rounds of the Classic, Japan's only loss in six games so far came to Cuba in a matchup that only mattered for seeding purposes.

While the team waits to see whom it will play in the semifinals Sunday in San Francisco, it stopped in Arizona on Thursday to play an exhibition against another set of defending champions, the Giants. Japan will also play the Cubs on Saturday before flying to California. All World Baseball Classic games can be seen on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

But even though the pair of games is only for practice, the players see it as exposure to Major League competition, which they all dream about being a part of someday.

"This'll make these guys mentally stronger, and it is a very positive thing down the road for them," Yamamoto said. "You can see these guys are growing with more confidence as we play more games. We play with a lot of pressure on our backs, and to be in a special event like this, it's always motivating."

Yamamoto said that while he has watched some of the other Classic teams Japan might play in the semis -- like the United States, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic -- he is remaining focused on his own squad and its search for a third consecutive title.

"All I have in my mind is Japanese baseball and how we play," he said. "It's not easy to win back-to-back, and we're going for a third straight right now, so we carry a lot of pressure. Our goal was to come to the United States, and once we did that, anything can happen."

Japan's statistical leaders through the first two rounds include hitters Hirokazu Ibata and Shinnosuke Abe, who have combined for 14 hits in 37 at-bats while driving in 10 runs and scoring 11. On the mound, Kenta Maeda has shined the brightest, with 10 scoreless innings and 15 strikeouts so far.

Players like those three carry the torch for Japan, where the extremely popular Classic has already set television-ratings records.

"I think the first events in '06 and '09 helped us a lot, it united the nation," Yamamoto said. "All the fans are excited because of that, and it's a bigger event now. It's more known, it's more popular."

Aybar's clutch hit sends DR past US, into semis

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com | 3/14/2013 10:30 P.M. ET

MIAMI --


And now there is one.

Erick Aybar came off the bench for the Dominican Republic in the ninth inning on Thursday night at Marlins Park and drove home Nelson Cruz with a pinch-hit single off Craig Kimbrel, sending the D.R. on to a 3-1 victory over Team USA.

With that, the undefeated D.R. secured a spot in the World Baseball Classic semifinals at San Francisco's AT&T Park, either against two-time defending Classic champion Japan on Sunday or the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Monday.

The U.S. has one more shot. The Americans play Puerto Rico here on Friday at 7 p.m. ET to determine the second survivor from Pool 2.

Seeding for the pool will be decided in a 1 p.m. game here on Saturday. The top seed plays the Dutch, who have never advanced this far in the tournament, and the second seed faces the Japanese.

The championship contest is Tuesday at San Francisco. All the games are scheduled to be broadcast in the U.S. by MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

"Both clubs played well, both clubs had great pitching, and they beat us," Team USA manager Joe Torre said. "They earned their victory and they beat a heck of a pitcher coming out of that bullpen."

In the big ninth-inning rally, Cruz opened with a double to right and then went to third on a Carlos Santana groundout. Aybar batted for Ricardo Nanita and lined a single to right, scoring Cruz. Aybar stole second as Alejandro De Aza struck out and then scored a single by Jose Reyes.

Even before the game started, the Americans lost third baseman David Wright. Their hottest hitter with a .438 batting average and a tournament-leading 10 RBIs was scratched from the lineup because of soreness on his left-side rib cage toward the back. He is being examined by the Mets on Friday in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and is questionable for the rest of the tournament.

Wright was replaced at third by Willie Bloomquist, who had an inconsequential throwing error in the game.

The U.S. had an early offensive threat, loading the bases off Dominican starter Samuel Deduno in the first inning. The Americans scored first when Deduno walked Eric Hosmer to force home Brandon Phillips. But Adam Jones whiffed looking to end the inning. Deduno settled down and allowed only three more baserunners and five hits in his four innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

Meanwhile, R.A. Dickey, making his second start of the tournament, looked sharp. He mowed down the first four batters with his trademark knuckleball dancing. But with one out in the second, Dickey hung one to Hanley Ramirez, the former Marlin and current Dodger, who crushed his second homer of the tournament above the 427-foot sign in left-center, tying the score at 1-1.

Dickey worked five innings, allowing five hits and the one run. He struck out four and walked one.

Japan successful no matter the circumstances

By Mike Bauman / MLB.com | 3/14/2013 8:24 P.M. ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --

Even when the game doesn't count, the baseball team from Japan looks very impressive.

As exhibition baseball games go, this one appeared to be at the head of the class in terms of weight, heft, significance.

Here were two defending champions -- the San Francisco Giants, winners of two of the last three World Series, and Team Japan, winner of the two previous World Baseball Classics.

The Japanese defeated the Giants, 6-3. Giants manager Bruce Bochy was comprehensive in his praise of the Japanese performance.

"They played well, they swung the bats well, they pitched well, they played a good ballgame today," Bochy said. "They certainly outplayed us.

"Their pitching was sharp. We only mustered five hits today, but more than that, we didn't get very many good swings off. We were a little passive with the bats. Sure, these are guys that we haven't faced, but you know what? We still have to go in there and get aggressive and for some reason we weren't today.

"But give [Team Japan] credit, though. They pitched well, they played well. They threw strikes, they had good command, they had good secondary pitches, they looked sharp."

The Japanese, who have advanced through two rounds of the 2013 Classic, were preparing for the Classic semifinals, which begin Sunday in San Francisco. The Giants were taking a day off from Cactus League play, but were still preparing for the 2013 regular season.

There was nothing specifically at stake, but this was still a competition.

"In any generation, when you play a game, it's a game," said Koji Yamamoto, manager of Team Japan, through an interpreter. "We all look forward to winning."

At the end of the afternoon, all of the winning had been done by the Japanese. Although the Giants presented some of their own mitigating circumstances, the other half of the game was yet another demonstration of just how advanced Japanese baseball is.

The Giants did not use any frontline pitchers. Yusmeiro Petit started, worked four innings giving up four runs and took the loss. Bochy started five regulars at the top of his lineup, but four of them were taken out after two plate appearances. The Japanese started their ace, Masahiro Tanaka, but pitched him only two innings and substituted frequently as the game progressed. If Japan reaches the finals of the Classic, Tanaka is expected to start that game.

The Japanese teams that won World Baseball Classics in 2006 and 2009 included prominent Major League players. This Japanese club has no players with current Major League connections and only one who previously played in the Majors, infielder Kazuo Matsui. And yet, so far, the Japanese have been as successful as ever in the Classic.

"I knew about the situation from the get-go," Yamamoto said. "We knew when I was first asked to become the manager that we would probably have no Major League ballplayers. So that was something that I had to start off with, from my standpoint.

"But going into today, you see these guys growing with more confidence and that makes me feel mentally strong. Although it's not easy, this is reality. So I think it's motivating for these kids right now, because a lot of these guys have no experience here, but they have a lot of interest. So hopefully this will be a good start for these guys to know what Major League [Baseball] is all about. If they can compete here, that would be another challenge for them."

There were more than 100 Japanese reporters covering this game, an indication of how important the performance of Team Japan is for its home country. Yamamoto was kind enough to set aside time for a much smaller group -- four American reporters. Among the topics was the obvious pressure on his team as it goes for a third straight Classic championship.

"It's not easy to win back to back," Yamamoto said. "We're going for our third straight right now and there's a lot of pressure on our back. Our goal was to come here to the United States. Once we get here, anything can happen. That's how I look at it."

Yamamoto was also asked if he would like at some point to see "a true World Series," between, for instance, championship teams from the Major Leagues and Japan.

"To be honest with you, I have no room in my mind to be thinking about stuff like that," Yamamoto said with a smile.

It is true, Team Japan has more than enough to do as it seeks a third straight World Baseball Classic title. The Japanese will play another exhibition Friday, this one against the Chicago Cubs, before traveling to the semifinals.

The San Francisco team that Team Japan defeated was not the absolute best that the Giants can put on the field. That doesn't detract from the quality that the Japanese displayed at Scottsdale Stadium. By now, in international competition, there is no reason to expect anything less than very good baseball from Team Japan.

U.S., Puerto Rico meet in must-win rematch

Teams face off three days after USA win for right to go to semis

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com | 3/14/2013 11:03 P.M. ET

MIAMI --

In dramatic, comeback fashion, Puerto Rico beat Italy, 4-3, on Wednesday night. The United States fell to the Dominican Republic, 3-1, on Thursday. Now they'll play in an elimination game Friday, with the winner moving on to the semifinals in San Francisco.

After an exhausting victory, Puerto Rico got a day off before playing on Friday at 7 p.m. ET on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes. The opponent has changed, but the stakes remain the same -- win or go home.

The drama continues to rise in the double-elimination Round 2 of the World Baseball Classic at Marlins Park.

Surviving a scare from a scrappy Italian squad was a challenge for a Puerto Rican team that boasts six big leaguers in its lineup. On Friday, the level of competition rises as Puerto Rico faces a powerhouse.

"They both have very powerful lineups," manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "They are both balanced. They both have good pitchers. It really makes no difference which of the two we play."

Rodriguez has tabbed Nelson Figueroa as Friday's starter, and lefty Giovanni Soto is available for relief.

"He's rested, and he knows both lineups very well," Rodriguez said.

Figueroa, who debuted with the D-backs in 2000, spent parts of nine seasons in the big leagues. The right-hander also pitched for the Phillies, Mets, Brewers, Astros and Pirates.

The veteran also has World Baseball Classic experience, previously competing in 2009.

Figueroa will be facing a lineup made up entirely of big leaguers.

It's a daunting task, but Puerto Rico is just thankful to be this far in the tournament.

The club's emotions showed on Wednesday in its eighth-inning rally. When Alex Rios scored the decisive run, the entire dugout sprinted toward home plate to greet him.

Pulling off the comeback provided relief on a night when it was unclear if Puerto Rico would advance.

"There's a lot of emotions when you are playing for your nation," Rodriguez said. "Regardless if it's Puerto Rico, USA or the Dominican Republic."

As a favorite to beat Italy, Rodriguez acknowledged the relief to advance.

"We all know everybody is watching back home," Rodriguez said. "They're jumping, they're yelling. They're making noise. I think pretty much everybody had that in mind."

Puerto Rico is 1-1 in Round 2. But in each game, the team has struggled to score runs.

It has combined to score five runs, counting its 7-1 loss to the United States on Tuesday.

"My concern lies in that they start to put pressure on themselves to do more," Rodriguez said. "It's not a concern that they won't bat."

An encouraging sign is catcher Yadier Molina had a three-hit day against Italy. Rios had a big hit in the eighth inning on Wednesday, and he scored the winning run.

Hitters are still in the process of getting their timing down. After all, it's mid-March, the middle of Spring Training.

"My preparation for each game, I prepare very well," Molina said. "We are in March, and we are facing pitchers that are going to throw 95 or 96 [mph]. When you see it on a daily basis, you make the adjustments. I did a bit of adjustments, and I looked for my hits, and it seemed that the team did also."

Sams channeling former Mariner Halman in Classic

By Greg Johns / MLB.com | 3/14/2013 9:15 P.M. ET

PEORIA, Ariz. --

Kalian Sams is playing for a lot of things these days. He's playing for his native Netherlands as it competes for the World Baseball Classic championship, for one.

He's also playing for the Mariners, who signed him as an international free agent in 2006 and have patiently watched him work his way up to Double-A Jackson as a powerful 26-year-old outfield prospect.

In fact, he'll play against the Mariners on Friday night when The Netherlands plays an exhibition game against Seattle at 7:05 p.m. PT at Peoria Stadium as its final tuneup before beginning the Classic finals Monday in San Francisco.

But he also competes for someone Seattle fans well remember, Dutch outfielder Greg Halman, his lifelong friend who was murdered in November, 2011, by his younger brother after finishing up his season with the Mariners.

Halman took great pride in being one of the few Major League players from Holland and certainly would have relished The Netherlands' current run in the Classic.

Are the Dutch players playing these games for Halman?

"I always play for him," Sams said. "Every day."

Sams hit .242 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 76 games for Jackson last year, missing some time due to injuries and fighting the inconsistency that has slowed his climb through the system.

But he's been a steady contributor to the Dutch squad in the Classic, hitting .263 with a .400 on-base percentage in six games and scoring a key run in the finals-clinching upset of Cuba.

"It's been a lot of fun," Sams said. "I like it a lot playing with guys I grew up with and guys like Andruw Jones that I'd never met. You always look up to guys like that. It's a good experience so far. I've learned a lot. I'm just living it."

And in the process, he's living it for one guy who can't take part, but would have loved wearing the orange Netherlands jersey more than anyone this month.

"I believe a lot of kids looked up to Greg Halman and started playing baseball and trying to be a little better," Sams said. "They saw him grow from playing in the Dutch leagues to the Major Leagues. And that's every kid's dream, even in the Netherlands, where it's not as big of a sport.

"Having that kind of background and being from the Netherlands, you don't really have anybody to look up to except for Andruw Jones, and he's not really from the Netherlands, he's from Curacao. Greg was kind of the main guy at that point."

Sams knew Halman since he was 9 years old and signed with the Mariners because Halman was already with the club. Who will be the next Major Leaguer from Holland for youngsters to emulate?

"Hopefully, it's me," Sams said, smiling. "I'm working toward it."

Pestano, USA face Aviles, Puerto Rico in must-win Classic tilt

Vinnie Pestano and Team USA face Mike Aviles and P.R. today in a win-or-go-home game for both.

US, Puerto Rico meet in must-win rematch

Teams face off three days after American victory for right to go to semis

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com | 3/15/2013 10:17 A.M. ET

MIAMI --

As the great Yogi Berra would say: "It's a deja vu all over again."

For the second time in the last two World Baseball Classics, the U.S. will face Puerto Rico in an elimination game, this time to advance to the semifinals at AT&T Park in San Francisco. In 2009, the U.S. won and came out of the Miami bracket with Venezuela and went to Dodger Stadium.

This time, the Americans will try to move on by again defeating P.R. on Friday at 7 p.m. ET at Marlins Park on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes. The winner will play against the Dominican Republic on Saturday to determine who will face two-time defending Classic winner Japan on Sunday or the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Monday in San Francisco.

It will be Ryan Vogelsong for the U.S. against Nelson Figueroa for Puerto Rico in a battle of veteran right-handers.

"I've been here before, a couple times in the postseason last year and once already in the Classic in Arizona," said Vogelsong, who played for the World Series-winning Giants club that came from way behind in 2012 to win the first two rounds of the playoffs. "So I know what it's like. Same as always, I'll go out and execute as many pitches as possible."

Vogelsong started for the U.S. this past Saturday night against Italy at Chase Field, a night after his club lost the opener to Mexico. Vogelsong pitched into the fifth inning, allowing two runs on six hits and earned the win in a 6-2 U.S. victory.

In 2009, the U.S. lost its first match in the second round to Puerto Rico, 11-1. This year, the U.S. defeated Puerto Rico, 7-1, here on Tuesday night in a game in which Gio Gonzalez dominated and David Wright knocked in five runs. Also in 2009, the U.S. barely beat Puerto Rico, 6-5, in the elimination game on a ninth-inning, two-run, walk-off single to right field by Wright at Dolphin Stadium, located about a half-hour north of the new ballpark nestled in the famous Little Havana neighborhood.

On Friday night, the U.S. won't have Wright, who was scratched from the starting lineup with soreness in the left-side rib cage, toward the back, just before Thursday's start of a key Pool 2 game that the U.S. wound up losing, 3-1, to the Dominican Republic.

He was to be examined in New York on Friday and his availability for the remainder of the tournament is doubtful, Team USA manager Joe Torre said.

Torre added that he doesn't expect to have Wright if the team moves on to the semifinals.

"I'm really not counting on it," Torre said. "Whatever he has is going to take more than a few days, I would think. Hopefully, that's all it is. The WBC is important, but it certainly isn't more important than making sure he's fine."

By Classic rules, the U.S. can't replace Wright on the 28-man roster until they win out of this round.

The U.S. loss to the D.R. set up another do-or-die confrontation with Puerto Rico, which scored three times in the eighth inning on Wednesday to eliminate Italy, 4-3. The Americans have already won an elimination game in this tournament, beating Canada, 9-4, to make it out of the Arizona bracket. They did that by scoring three runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth.

Asked if the U.S. might have an advantage because of its recent victory over Puerto Rico, Torre said:

"I hope so. I hope they feel that way. I don't take it for granted because we beat somebody it's automatic we're going to do that again. We'll be ready to play and hopefully we can put some runs on the board."

For the past three nights, fans have turned games here into a rocking festival as the two Latin teams have played with an uncommon amount of emotion. P.R. and D.R. players commonly came streaming out of their respective dugouts to celebrate when key runs were scored.

"There's a lot of emotion when you are playing for your nation," said Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez, who managed the Marlins for about a year in the old stadium, "regardless if it's Puerto Rico, USA or the Dominican Republic."

Rodriguez will start with the right-handed Figueroa and have lefty Giovanni Soto available in relief.

"Both are rested," Rodriguez said.

Figueroa debuted with the D-backs in 2000 and spent parts of nine seasons in the big leagues for the Phillies, Mets, Brewers, Astros and Pirates.

This may be one of his biggest games. In the first two Classics, Puerto Rico didn't make it past the second round. In 2006, the P.R. lost the deciding game to Cuba, which moved on to San Diego, and the U.S. was stopped in the second round by Mexico. And even when the U.S. did beat P.R. in 2009, it lost a semifinal game to Japan at Dodger Stadium.

It's never easy. The crowd again will have a decided Latin flavor. Team Puerto Rico will be all charged up.

"We expected that," Torre said. "We've seen how emotional those teams can be. I watched the other day when the Dominicans came back to beat Italy. I know there's passion on both sides, except it's shown a little differently."

Headley accepts invitation if USA advances

By Corey Brock / MLB.com | 3/15/2013 11:40 A.M. ET

PEORIA, Ariz. --

It was more than a month ago when the Major League Baseball Players Association first reached out to Padres third baseman Chase Headley to see if he'd be interested in playing for Team USA during the World Baseball Classic, should it need a third baseman.

So when Headley was contacted by text message Thursday with the same question, his answer was the same as it was in February -- a resounding yes.

"This has always been a dream of mine, to play for Team USA," Headley said.

With Mets third baseman David Wright sitting out with a sore back, Team USA lost in Miami on Thursday to the Dominican Republic with the D-backs' Willie Bloomquist playing third base.

Team USA will face Puerto Rico at 4 p.m. PT Friday in a game that can be watched live on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes. If Team USA wins that game, it will earn a spot in the semifinals in San Francisco.

If that happens, Headley will in all likelihood be the starting third baseman, if Wright is unable to return.

"Obviously, you hate to see anyone go down this time of year," Headley said.

Headley is scheduled to hit third in a split-squad game against the Dodgers on Friday at the Peoria Sports Complex. He won't play the whole game, as regulars are usually replaced by Minor League players. He'll retreat to the Padres' clubhouse to watch Team USA, rooting for a victory.

"If they get it done, I'm sure we'll talk more about it then," Headley said.

Headley is coming off a momentous season during which he led the National League in RBIs (115) and won NL Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards.

Come out to Marlins Park tonight for World Baseball Classic Pool 2 action, with Team USA squaring off against Puerto Rico in an elimination game

Japan warms up for semifinals with exhibition against Cubs

Nobuhiro Matsuda and Team Japan face the Cubs in an exhibition game before heading to the Classic semis.

Jones' homer leads Dutch to big win over Padres

Netherlands string together eight doubles against San Diego pitching

By Corey Brock / MLB.com | 3/15/2013 1:30 A.M. ET

PEORIA, Ariz. --

Following a long flight overnight Tuesday from Japan to Phoenix, Netherlands manager Hensley Meulens thought the last thing his team needed was a workout in the searing Arizona heat.

"I gave them the day off," Meulens said. "… They were battling [jet lag] today, with the time change."

It hardly showed Thursday, as the Netherlands strung together 14 hits en route to a 9-3 victory over the Padres before a crowd of 3,142 at the Peoria Sports Complex.

Starting slow, and possibly still feeling the effects of their long flight, the Netherlands scored seven runs over the last four innings to pull away from the Padres.

"They were on the fastball," said Padres manager Bud Black. "And then we threw them some breaking balls and they were on them, too. They had some good swings."

Nine different players had hits and Andruw Jones reached base three times, hitting a home run to give the Dutch their first run of the game.

Roger Bernadina, Xander Bogaerts, Jonathan Schoop, Randolph Oduber and Jones each had two hits in the victory, the first game the Netherlands has played since dropping a 10-6 decision to Japan in Tokyo on Tuesday. The team then left immediately for Phoenix.

The Netherlands, which has already advanced to the championship round of the World Baseball Classic on March 18 in San Francisco, will face the Mariners on Friday at 7:05 p.m. at the Peoria Sports Complex.

They'll do so, Meulens said, with an offense that appears to be getting better and better as the Classic goes on.

"The last three or four games, hitters started to get their timing down," he said. "The guys are having good at-bats and putting the ball in play."

Jones, who got the start as designated hitter for the Dutch, drilled a home run to start the second inning and then singled to center in the sixth inning.

The Padres couldn't match the offensive firepower of the Dutch, who had 10 extra-base hits, including eight doubles.

San Diego outfielder Jaff Decker came off the bench to hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning that cut the Netherlands lead to one run at 4-3.

But the Netherlands piled on late to pull away.

"They're hitting their stride," Meulens said of the offense.

San Diego pitcher Eric Stults, projected as the No. 4 starter in the rotation, allowed two runs on four hits over four innings. He threw 74 pitches in his longest outing of the spring. Stults had three strikeouts and walked one.

"I like his changeup and we saw the range of velocity on his fastball, which is what he does," Black said of Stults. "Overall, it was a productive night for Eric."

The home run by Jones was his first against the Padres since he did so during the regular season while he was with the Braves on July 6, 2007. Jones, who is currently under contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League, hit 434 home runs over a 17-year Major League career.

"But he's not trying to hit home runs," Meulens said. "He's getting a good pitch to hit. He's leading by example."

The Padres struck first, as leadoff hitter Everth Cabrera singled to left field and advanced to second on an error by Dutch shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Two batters later, Padres left fielder Jesus Guzman punched a changeup from starter Diegomar Markwell into right field for a 1-0 advantage.

Markwell, who got the victory against Cuba in Game 1 at Tokyo Dome, allowed no earned runs on two hits in his two innings of work

The Padres had a chance to break the game open in the third inning, as they put runners on second and third base with one out. But Dutch reliever Robbie Cordemans got Yonder Alonso on an infield pop-up and battled Jedd Gyorko in an eight-pitch at-bat before getting the Padres' second baseman looking at a called third strike to end the inning.

Cordemans pitched well in relief, tossing two scoreless innings with two hits allowed. He also walked two and struck out two.

Cabrera and Decker each had two hits.