Alou notices commitment of Dominican players

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com | 3/16/2013 1:00 P.M. ET

MIAMI --

Compared to previous World Baseball Classics, Dominican Republic general manager Moises Alou sees a more solid commitment from his country.

Long before the Dominican team started workouts on March 3, its key players were training.

"This year, this team came prepared to play," Alou said on Saturday morning. "There were a lot of guys who played winter ball. Guys who hadn't played winter ball in years. Guys are in better in shape. Guys want it more this time."

Position players like Hanley Ramirez, Nelson Cruz, Carlos Santana, Erick Aybar and Miguel Tejada gave up parts of their offseason to see game action. Ramirez, the Dodgers' shortstop, participated in the Caribbean Series in the weeks leading up to the start of Spring Training.

Even closer Fernando Rodney was pitching in games into early February.

The investment is what has changed over the years.

Alou recalls participating in the 2006 Classic as a player.

"I remember the first Classic," he said. "There was a lot of hype about it. Guys were excited about it, but they weren't in as good a shape as they are now.

"I came to the Classic with no at-bats in Spring Training, no winter ball. Even though I did OK, it wasn't me. I wished I would have been in better shape to play. These guys came ready to play this time."

The five-day Round 2 at Marlins Park featured big crowds and entertaining games.

The upset of the week is that Team USA isn't advancing to the semifinals, which begin on Sunday at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

The fact the United States didn't win, Alou said, doesn't diminish the effort displayed by the team.

"I know the United States did not make it, but they played great," Alou said. "You could see an American team more together, a team that wanted to win. A team that came prepared and played outstanding baseball. They just got beat by teams that played better baseball that day."

Hanley's impact goes beyond performance

MIAMI --

More than the numbers tells the impact Hanley Ramirez has made for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

Ramirez, the Dodgers' shortstop, has had his ups and downs in the tournament. But when he's come up big, he's been a difference maker.

In his first five games, Ramirez was 3-for-15 (.200). Two of the hits, however, were home runs.

Ramirez connected on a mammoth homer off R.A. Dickey on Wednesday in the Dominican's 3-1 win over Team USA at Marlins Park.

What's pleased Dominican Republic manager Tony Pena is how Ramirez has been agreeable to whatever role he's asked.

"I think Hanley has handled everything great," Pena said. "We had a tough decision when we began the WBC, because I had three shortstops."

Pena's challenge entering the Classic was how to split time between Jose Reyes, Erick Aybar and Ramirez at short.

"I wanted to play all three shortstops in one game," Pena said. "Hanley said, 'I can play third.' Everybody adjusted right into this. He's been doing great.

"Maybe average-wise, he's not swinging the bat the way he's capable of swinging, but the two home runs that he hit meant something for the ballclub."

Marlins Park has had international flavor

MIAMI --

Horns blowing and drums beating in the stands have given Marlins Park an international feel this week.

The spirit inside the building, in fact, reminded Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez of San Juan.

Rodriguez spoke to Dominican Republic manager Tony Pena about the atmosphere.

"I was talking with Tony Pena and the other players from the Dominican," Rodriguez said. "It did feel like we were back in San Juan again, playing that first round."

The passion and emotion in an international event is a bit different than a regular big league game.

"I think the Latin Americans and Hispanic culture is more involved," Rodriguez said. "More noisy places, more music, they're more involved emotionally in the game. They transfer that to the game.

"In the United States, Americans are little more under control, if you can call it that. They kind of control themselves a little bit more."

[ In other words, Hispanics don't sit on their hands for nine innings of international baseball. They're active from the start. ]

Wandy Rodriguez

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Carlos Santana................................................Fernando Rodney

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Wandy, Santana lead Dominicans past PR

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com | 3/16/2013 4:10 P.M. ET

MIAMI --

By virtue of the Dominican Republic's 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico on Saturday at Marlins Park, the pairings for the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic for the next two days are set.

Puerto Rico will play Japan at AT&T Park on Sunday and unbeaten D.R. (6-0) will face the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Monday. Both games are at 9 p.m. ET.

The winners will meet to decide this year's champion on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. All of the games will be broadcast in the U.S. on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

For the D.R. on Saturday, Indians catcher Carlos Santana homered to lead off the fifth and Pirates left-hander Wandy Rodriguez pitched six innings of two-hit ball to earn the win. Puerto Rico had one chance to score in the third inning, but Irving Falu was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice grounder to Dominican shortstop Erick Aybar.

Aybar also made a heads-up play in the eighth on a fielder's choice grounder, helping quell a Puerto Rico rally by getting Martin Maldonado at third for the inning's second out. Jesus Feliciano then walked to put men on first and second before Pedro Valdes grounded out to second baseman Robinson Cano to end the threat.

Aybar was in the middle of the action in bottom of the frame, singling with one out, advancing to third on Cano's single and later scoring on a two-out single by Francisco Pena.

Fernando Rodney closed out the win in the ninth for his fifth save of the Classic.

The six games in the bracket here were a huge success, attended by 153,115 fans, 25,846 on Saturday.

With the two Latin teams in the mix, the bleating of the air horns, congas and festival atmosphere of the games here in Miami will move on to the City by the Bay, which is hosting the Classic championship round for the first time.

Japan won the first two Classics, defeating Cuba at Petco Park in 2006, 10-6, and Korea at Dodger Stadium, 5-3, four years ago in an epic battle as the Japanese scored twice in the 10th on Ichiro Suzuki's two-run single when Korea pitched to him with first base open.

Certainly, there are more stories to be woven in the next three days.

Here this week, the Dominicans and Puerto Ricans ousted Team USA and upstart Italy in games that all came down to the wire. The D.R. came from behind on Tuesday to defeat Italy, 5-4, wiping out a 4-0 deficit. On Thursday in front of a bracket-high 34,366, the D.R. snapped a 1-1 tie with two runs in the ninth off U.S. closer Craig Kimbrel and won, 3-1.

After losing to the U.S. on Tuesday, Puerto Rico came from behind with three runs in the eighth inning to defeat Italy, 4-3, on Wednesday night in its first do-or-die game of Pool 2. And then on Friday night, after building a 4-0 lead, P.R. held on to oust the Americans, 4-3.

Dutch head to San Francisco for date with destiny

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | 3/16/2013 3:03 A.M. ET

PEORIA, Ariz. --

So, what if the Dutch actually win this thing?

It's a very relevant question, now that The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a mere two victories away from being crowned champions of a World Baseball Classic on which nobody expected them to have much of an impact.

"It's amazing that we're here, but I know it's going to be very special if we can accomplish this feat," Meulens said after an 8-1 exhibition victory over the Mariners on Friday night, a few hours before leaving for San Francisco's AT&T Park, site of his team's semifinal game in three days. "We're loose. Guys are having a great time playing. I don't think they care who's on the other side of the field right now."

You have to understand, though -- the Dutch winning a worldwide, professional baseball tournament is like the United States getting first place in an international competition in croquet.

Baseball is popular in the tiny island of Curacao, a constituent country with a population of less than 150,000. But in The Netherlands, no more than 15,000 of the 17 million people are said to be involved in baseball. That's .09 percent. Comparatively, more than 1.5 million play soccer.

"Soccer is the No. 1, 2 and 3 sport in Holland, basically," 7-foot-1 Dutch pitcher and Reds Minor Leaguer Loek Van Mil said. "There's nothing else."

This is a team whose leader and most recognizable figure, Andruw Jones, is well past his prime and currently without a Major League gig. This is a team with only three players -- Nats backup outfielder Roger Bernadina, Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons and newly added Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen -- who are expected to play in the Major Leagues in 2013.

This is a team that has no business being among the final four of a tournament with powerhouses like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan and the United States.

But don't tell them that.

"You look over all these years and the extra talent we have this time, we just know that we can play with everybody and play this game," said bench coach Robert Eenhoorn, the former big league infielder who serves as technical director for The Netherlands' national baseball team. "We're not intimidated by big teams."

In the 2006 Classic, when the squad was eliminated in the first round, the Dutch were just happy to be here. Heading into '09, when they stunned the Dominicans twice in the first round, the goal was to advance. For this year's event, taking place two years after The Netherlands became the first European team to win the IBAF Baseball World Cup, they saw winning it all as a realistic goal.

So, you may have been mildly surprised to see them breeze through Korea and Australia in the first round. And you might have been shocked that they beat Cuba, ranked No. 1 internationally, twice in the second round.

But maybe you should look a little closer.

Team Netherlands has a gluttony of talented young shortstops, like Simmons, who Meulens called "the most exciting player in this tournament;" Profar, the No. 1 prospect in baseball; Xander Bogaerts, the top-ranked player in the Red Sox's system; and Jonathan Schoop, a middle infielder who is ranked fourth with the Orioles.

Bernadina and Wladimir Balentien, the former big leaguer who has hit a combined 62 homers in Japan the last two years, gives them a formidable outfield. Jones, mainly the designated hitter, is a key veteran presence. Diegomar Markwell, the likely Monday starter, has been a steady hand for an otherwise flimsy rotation, giving up just one run in 10 innings. Jensen, who had a 2.35 ERA and 25 saves in the Majors last season, is a huge addition to the back of the bullpen.

And they're playing like a team with nothing to lose.

"We have a really good, young group, and we've managed to stick together and play the right way," said Jones, who will spend the 2013 season playing in Japan. "Anything can happen in this final. You have to take care of that first game -- you have to eliminate your mistakes, you have to pitch right, you have to play good defense. And we have a good chance because we have the guys to do all that stuff."

After outscoring the Padres and Mariners, 17-4, at Peoria Sports Complex on back-to-back days, Team Netherlands boarded their two-hour flight to the Bay Area, site of the four-team, single-elimination championship round -- and the last leg of a journey that has taken them from Arizona to Taiwan to Japan to Arizona again.

They'll have a light workout at AT&T Park at 2:15 p.m. PT on Saturday and 9:45 a.m. on Sunday.

Then, as the Pool 1 runner-up to two-time champion Japan, Team Netherlands will play the Pool 2 winner -- either the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico -- at 6 p.m. on Monday night, in a game that will be televised on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

For the first time, the biggest television station in The Kingdom of the Netherlands, NOS, will broadcast the game, too.

How many will actually watch? Tough to say. The popular speed-skating season ended a week ago, but soccer is reaching the climax of its season over there. And, oh yeah, it'll be 2 a.m. in The Netherlands when their team's semifinal game begins.

"I'd like to say it means a lot to them, but I don't think it does," Van Mil said. "Baseball is just not a big sport. It's soccer."

But winning the Classic, an incomparable baseball stage for a nation that doesn't really have a professional league, can change everything in the Netherlands.

It'll never get to the level of soccer, but Eenhoorn's goal is to make baseball the clear No. 2 sport in his home country. He's helped build six academies there since he took over. And in April, a more than $20 million stadium that can seat up to 29,000 fans will open near the capital of Amsterdam, which Eenhoorn hopes will house the first Major League contest in Europe.

Win two more games, and suddenly the doors can swing open for this nation.

"Winning the World Cup was nice, and it gave us a lot of publicity," Eenhoorn said. "But winning at a stage, at a platform, like this, will give you recognition all over the world and will open up a lot different opportunities. It helps. It really helps. There's no doubt about it."

Japan again relying on aces in quest for third title

By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com | 3/16/2013 11:55 P.M. ET

SAN FRANCISCO --

In 2006, at the inaugural World Baseball Classic, it was Daisuke Matsuzaka and Koji Uehara. Three years later, it was Dice-K again, joining forces with Yu Darvish.

Classic pitching has made Japan back-to-back Classic champions. No other country has won this global tournament, something Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands are committed to changing by Tuesday night.

The names change, but Japan is still counting on its pitching to dominate. The ball goes to 24-year-old right-hander Kenta Maeda in Sunday night's semifinal against Puerto Rico at AT&T Park.

Poised to assume those responsibilities if Japan advances to the Tuesday night championship game against either Dominicans or the Dutch is Masahiro Tanaka, another 24-year-old right-hander with premium stuff.

Whatever Maeda may have learned about Classic pressures from Matsuzaka and Darvish during Team Japan's recent Spring Training stop in Arizona, he was keeping it to himself on Saturday.

"Well, there are things that I cannot really tell you here," Maeda said, "but they have told me that the day I will feel a lot of pressure or that I will need to go through a lot of tension. So it may look easy from the outside, but there are things you never really understand until you really do it yourself. So, that was the talk we had."

The only pressure Maeda has generated in this Classic has been on hitters trying to make contact with his precise control, big curveball and deep repertoire.

Through 10 innings of two starts, both victories, the smooth operator for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp has allowed two hits, one walk and no runs, striking out 15. This is the brand of work he delivered in going 14-7 with a 1.53 ERA in 206 1/3 innings for Hiroshima in 2012.

Because he has several years left before he can post and become available to Major League teams, Maeda artfully avoided the question about his desire to follow Matsuzaka, Uehara and Darvish to American soil.

"It's really hard for me to answer," he said, "so please let me say just no comment. But I'm delighted that I could pitch on the Major League grounds here."

Japan has another dominant right-hander in Tanaka, who gained experience in the 2009 Classic with four appearances.

Tanaka, in four games at this Classic, has 12 strikeouts without a walk in seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on 10 hits. He has a physical presence at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds.

Southpaw Kenji Otonari and righties Kazuhisa Makita and Tadashi Settsu have picked up wins for Japan, which has gone 5-1 in the Classic.

Japan's roster is drawn entirely from its own teams, featuring seven members of the Yomiuri Giants and six players from the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Tanaka toils for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Japan's most familiar name to American fans is second baseman Kazuo Matsui, a Major Leaguer for seven years with the Mets, Rockies and Astros. A teammate of Tanaka with Rakuten, Matsui is a role player for Japan, one of its senior citizens at 37.

Japan has great balance both on the field and on the mound. It has six left-handed hitters along with Matsui, a switch-hitter. The team also has six lefties to draw from on the mound.

There is no Ichiro Suzuki this time around, but Japan's left-handed offensive weapons include catcher/DH Shinnosuke Abe, Atsunori Inaba, Yoshio Itoi and Katsuya Kakunaka.

Hirokazu Ibata, a second baseman, is not physically imposing at 5-8 and 165 pounds, but he's been pounding the ball along with third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda. Ibata has an inside-out swing favored by the likes of Derek Jeter, Michael Young and Howard Kendrick, slashing line drives to right and right-center.

Maeda, in command, figures to be hard to beat with all the resources owned by Team Japan.

"The atmosphere is similar," Maeda said when asked about AT&T Park in relation to his home park in Hiroshima. "But as I walk out to the ground, it's very different. So I had a very fresh feeling that, oh, this is the ground of the Major League Baseball team."

The Major League Baseball champion, in fact.

Now it's Japan's turn to try to be giants again -- of the World Baseball Classic.

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DR can get payback against Dutch in semifinals

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com | 3/16/2013 7:01 P.M. ET

MIAMI --

Payback isn't foremost on the minds of the Dominican Republic when it arrives in San Francisco. Winning the World Baseball Classic title is.

It just so happens that the team standing in way of the Dominican Republic is the Kingdom of Netherlands. The two countries meet on Monday at 9 p.m. ET in the second World Baseball Classic semifinal at AT&T Park (watch on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes).

No one from the Dominican has forgotten what occurred in 2009, when a scrappy, underdog Netherlands squad pulled off a monumental upset, beating the Dominican Republic twice and eliminating it in the first round of the Classic.

"I wouldn't call it a debt," Dominican All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano said. "You have to forget what happened in the past."

The determination to bring the Classic championship trophy to the Caribbean is clearly the mission. Having Cano in the middle of the lineup certainly enhances the country's chances.

The Dominican Republic earned a day off by beating Puerto Rico, 2-0, on Saturday at Marlins Park. Puerto Rico will face Japan on Sunday in San Francisco at 9 p.m.

Cano was named the MVP of Round 2, just as he was in the first round.

"The MVP is an individual thing," Cano said. "First of all, Puerto Rico didn't know we had the most valuable players. Once we got to the second round, I wanted to go to the third round. You have to take it game by game. It wasn't only because of me, but also because of our players."

Compared to four years ago, the Dominican Republic is a more determined and driven club than the team that faced the Netherlands in '09.

But the Netherlands isn't a flash in the pan, either. The squad is filled with some exceptional young talent. It just doesn't match the Dominican Republic in terms of star power. Dominican manager Tony Pena can run out Cano, Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, Nelson Cruz, Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion.

Pena's message is what happened before doesn't matter in the win-or-go-home semifinals.

"What's in the past is in the past," Pena said. "We are not thinking about the past, we're thinking about the present."

In Miami, Pena's team clearly played as if it was on a mission. It won all three of its games at Marlins Park, and improved to 6-0 overall.

For the semifinals, Padres right-hander Edinson Volquez will start. The challenge for big league pitchers in the Classic is to be built up to throw meaningful innings weeks before Opening Day.

"I think we did a pretty good job before we got to Spring Training to try to get ready for the WBC," Volquez said. "I think most of the guys over here on our team are ready to play, especially me. I threw a lot of bullpens before I got here."

The Netherlands may not have the depth of proven Major Leaguers as the Dominican Republic, but it has its share of talent. For the semifinals, it has added Rangers top prospect Jurickson Profar to a lineup that already had Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons.

And if the Netherlands has a lead in the ninth, a proven big leaguer will be taking the ball. Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen has been added to the roster.

"This is going to be my first time playing for them," Profar said. "It's a great honor for me. I'm very happy to be here. You can see right away why they're winning. They have great guys, great manager, great coaches. So I'm proud."

The Netherlands' pitching staff is coached by Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven.

"We have good players," manager Hensley Meulens said. "It was just a matter of, when we played in these tournaments, you play your best game to show people that the way Major League Baseball has expanded themselves all over the world is working. It's given countries an opportunity to show that they can play with any country. So it will be a very special thing for the Netherlands."

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PR draws tough task facing Japan on short rest

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com | 3/16/2013 6:26 P.M. ET

MIAMI --

Simply reaching the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic was a relief for Puerto Rico. Still, the team considered a long shot to win it all isn't catching a break.

The way seeding was decided, Puerto Rico is making a quick turnaround.

After playing two games in less than 24 hours, the club is flying across the country to San Francisco, where it will face Team Japan on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET in a semifinal matchup at AT&T Park that will be broadcast live on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

Puerto Rico was placed in a hurry-up situation because it lost, 2-0, against the Dominican Republic on Saturday afternoon at Marlins Park. The Dominican club gets a day off before facing the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Monday in the second semifinal.

For Puerto Rico, dealing with adversity is nothing new.

"That's the nature of the tournament," Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "That's what we have to deal with."

Along with the tough travel schedule, Rodriguez's squad has to go up against the only country to have won the Classic, with Japan claiming the title in 2006 and '09.

The Japanese squad also has the benefit of being out west, since it played exhibitions in Arizona after advancing from its pool.

"We were also at a disadvantage against Venezuela and a disadvantage when we got here," Rodriguez said. "So the players and the team have already learned how to play in these type of situations, and we are still here among the final four. So they know how to handle this type of pressure and disadvantage very well. But yes, that's the nature of the tournament. That's what we have to deal with."

Puerto Rico will start right-hander Mario Santiago on Sunday.

Puerto Rico was able to rest one of its top players in Saturday's loss, though.

Yadier Molina, an All-Star catcher for the Cardinals, was given Saturday afternoon off after he played all nine innings in Friday's 4-3 win against Team USA.

Classic managers face the challenge of not overworking players who would still be in Spring Training if not for the tournament, with catchers receiving extra attention.

"All these players have their Spring Training season, so in Spring Training, they usually do not play nine innings two days in a row," Rodriguez said. "And Molina played nine innings Friday. So when there is an opportunity to let him rest, I let him rest.

"If he had played nine innings today, he would play nine more innings tomorrow after a trip to the West Coast, since we qualified for the next round. So I gave him the rest today. But he's well. Physically, he's OK. He was just better off resting."

Puerto Rico is anticipating a difficult challenge against Japan.

"We've been watching them for years, and they're the two-time champions of the WBC for a reason," Rodriguez said. "They know how to play the game. They put a lot of emphasis on the little things, on mastering the obvious, and they don't make many mistakes, offensively or defensively.

"So we have to go out there and almost play a perfect game, and try to attack the hitters and be aggressive at the plate, take the next base. So we have to turn the page from today's game and go out there and try to play the perfect game against them."

Japan finished up its exhibition games in Arizona on Friday, losing to the Cubs.

The Japanese offense has been producing, scoring five runs on Friday after posting six against the Giants on Thursday.

"These two games in Arizona, we scored a lot of runs, we got a lot of hits, and that's exactly what we're looking for here," hitting coach Kazuyoshi Tatsunami said. "We want to go to San Francisco feeling good about our batting, feeling good that we're hitting the ball well and scoring runs."

Finally, four: SF stage is set for Classic semis

By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com | 3/16/2013 10:29 P.M. ET

SAN FRANCISCO --

Center fielder Angel Pagan, back home at AT&T Park for the first time since the Giants seized the first two games of the World Series en route to a sweep of the Tigers, leads giant-killer Puerto Rico against two-time defending World Baseball Classic champion Japan in a dream semifinal on Sunday night.

As Japan bids to maintain its solitary grip on the Classic in the 9 p.m. ET showdown, Puerto Rico will be bidding to replicate its dramatic triumph against Team USA on Friday night in Miami.

The second semifinal on Monday night matches the Kingdom of Netherlands, the Cinderella of this Final Four, against the formidable forces of the Dominican Republic, at 9 ET.

The championship finale on Tuesday night will start at 8 ET. MLB Network and ESPN Deportes will carry all the action.

Japan's manager, Koji Yamamoto, echoed the words of managers and coaches everywhere when he was asked on Saturday about the prospect of a three-peat.

"With baseball," Yamamoto said through an interpreter, "anything could happen until the game is over. In that sense, the WBC has incidents of seeing such strong teams falling off, so I don't want to give or speak in favor of other teams. I've been just focusing on how to win. So, I don't know what's going to happen. But it's really exciting."

Japan has won the first two Classics with dominant pitching -- Daisuke Matsuzaka and Koji Uehara in 2006, Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish in 2009. Matsuzaka, bidding for work with the Indians now, was the Classic MVP both times.

The mound matchup on Sunday favors Japan, which goes with its ace, 24-year-old Kenta Maeda, against Mario Santiago in a duel of right-handers.

Maeda, who carries 161 pounds on a 6-foot frame, has worked 10 scoreless innings in the Classic, striking out 15 while allowing just two hits and a walk.

Santiago took one of Puerto Rico's three losses in the Classic, yielding three runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 7-1 decision by the U.S.

"This is my first international match, such a great experience," Maeda said. "The next match will be the biggest for me."

In the second semifinal, southpaw Diegomar Markwell, nephew of Team Netherlands star Andruw Jones, will take the ball for manager Hensley Meulens on Monday night. Markwell, a 231-pound native of Rotterdam, is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in the Classic.

Unbeaten Dominican Republic will counter with Edinson Volquez, veteran right-hander for the Padres. Volquez has a 6.75 ERA in 5 1/3 innings, starting twice in the Classic. If the Dominicans reach the title game, Twins right-hander Samuel Deduno (1.13 ERA, eight innings) will be manager Tony Pena's starter.

Puerto Rico's 2-0 loss to the Dominican Republic on Saturday, for seeding purposes, had to be anticlimactic after the thrilling 4-3 triumph against the U.S. on Friday night.

Maeda's challenge is to contain Pagan at the top of Puerto Rico's lineup. A major figure in the Giants' championship run, Pagan is batting .360 and slugging a team-high .520 in the Classic.

With stars Carlos Beltran and Alex Rios scuffling, Mike Aviles has been the Puerto Ricans' primary run producer. The third baseman has eight RBIs in seven games, batting .292 while delivering the team's lone home run in the Classic.

Japan, by contrast, has left the yard eight times in six games and has seven players hitting .316 or higher, led by Hirokaza Ibata. The second baseman is hitting .571 with an OPS of 1.327.

Pagan, with two doubles and a triple, leads Puerto Rico in OPS at .968. Beltran and Rios have combined to go 8-for-48 with four extra-base hits, all doubles by Beltran. Yadier Molina, Puerto Rico's great catcher, is hitting for average (.368) but does not have an extra-base hit.

Netherlands has a pair of additions to its roster for the final round. Meulens, batting coach of the Giants, welcomes the Rangers' Jurickson Profar, MLB.com's No. 1 overall prospect.

Meulens said Profar will bat second and play second base, bringing more speed to the athletic Netherlands lineup featuring Jones, Andrelton Simmons and Curt Smith.

Profar, like most of the Netherlands' position players, is from Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles. The pitching staff is largely comprised of Netherlands natives. An exception is Curacao's Kenley Jansen, the dominant right-hander of the Dodgers who also was added to the roster for the finals, replacing injured Jonatan Isenia.

"I think the plan that we have," Meulens said, "most of the Dutch guys are pitchers, and the position players are from the islands. We're all Dutch. We all have Dutch passports, and this is the best way to have the strongest team."

In pure talent, it will be difficult for anyone to match up with the Dominican Republic. Robinson Cano (.519 average, 1.407 OPS) is scalding, along with Carlos Santana (.313, 1.229) and Nelson Cruz (.360, .865). Jose Reyes is explosive atop the order, Erick Aybar has been Mr. Clutch, and two of Hanley Ramirez's three hits have been home runs.

Behind their so-so starters, the Dominicans have been resourceful. Pedro Strop is 3-0 with no runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings, and closer Fernando Rodney has produced 5 1/3 shutout innings with five saves.

In the 2009 Classic, the Netherlands knocked the Dominican stars out of the tournament with a pair of first-round pool play victories.

Redemption is at hand for the Dominican Republic.

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Back with Mets, Wright uncertain for Opening Day

David Wright was back in Mets camp on Sunday morning, hopeful but not certain that he'll recover from a left intercostal muscle strain in time to be ready for Opening Day. Speaking publicly for the first time since straining a left intercostal muscle during the World Baseball Classic, Wright insisted that he reported his injury to the Mets in an appropriate manner and did not receive any sort of scolding from the organization for not reporting it sooner. What began as a tweak during training camp, Wright said, evolved into a more persistent pain, keeping him awake at night and eventually affecting his ability to play. But Wright did not see any need to report his injury to the Mets until it became an issue in his mind. "If I needed to call somebody every time I felt something," Wright said, "I wouldn't play too many games, I think."
Santana drills solo homer to lift Dominican Republic

Dominican catcher Carlos Santana, who had been mentioned by manager Tony Pena as a possible player to rest on Saturday, instead got the start and slugged a solo home run to right field that measured 423 feet. [ask Tony Pena not to removed from the game. In the 7th, Carlos transferred to first and Tony Pena Jr took over the catching duties] "He had thrown me a lot of changeups," Santana said. "And I basically waited for another one." "We're not thinking about revenge," said Santana. "We just want to win."
Despite USA's early exit, Kimbrel enjoyed Classic

Although the United States was knocked out in the second round, Braves closer Craig Kimbrel called his first classic a "great experience" and enjoyed working with Joe Torre and Greg Maddux. It was a great experience," Kimbrel said. "It was cool to see how much [Team USA manager] Joe Torre really appreciated it and how much fun he had. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth how we went out. But it was still a pretty awesome experience. "Now we're sitting here two weeks before the season starts and I'm ready to go. It's going to be a little different going from high intensity, where every pitch counts, back to Spring Training, where it still counts but you don't have everybody screaming at you like you did in those games."
Rizzo returns to Cubs after exciting ride with Italy

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was among a small handful of Major Leaguers playing for Italy, but the team defied expectation, advancing to the second round of the World Baseball Classic. "It was bittersweet," Rizzo said of his experience playing for Team Italy, which reached the second round for the first time in three Classic appearances. "Nobody expected us to do well. The competition we faced was way better than our talent level, but that's baseball." "That's something I wouldn't be able to get here, even in the regular season," Rizzo said of the intensity of elimination games. "[During the season], if you win or lose a game in the later innings, you know you can still play tomorrow. This is kind of like a playoff atmosphere -- you lose, you're done." "It's my first time going into April 1st as the Opening Day starter," Rizzo said. "But it's like every other year. I go out and compete. The intensity was 10 notches higher [in the World Baseball Classic] than Spring Training, but I still go out here and compete every day the same way I did there."
Cano earns second MVP honor of Classic

"I know with Rodney I had a tight competition, but since I am more handsome, I won it," Cano said as media members laughed. Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez was duly impressed with Cano, adding that the star player's influence extends beyond the Dominican Republic. "What Robinson means for the [Classic], for all of Latin America -- it means a lot," he said. "We are watching one of the game's elite players, defensively and offensively. "Watching him from the other side, performing at 100 percent every game … He wants to show that Latin Americans know how to play the game. He is a very proud man, and we have a lot of respect for him." Turning serious, Cano was asked what it felt like to hear a rival manager such as Rodriguez give him so much praise. "It makes me feel proud," said Cano, a four-time Major League All-Star who led the New York Yankees to the 2009 World Series title. "I'm honored to hear him express himself that way -- not just about me but also about my teammates. It motivates me. "But the MVP is an individual award. The most important thing to me was qualifying for the next round. And if my teammates don't get on base and do their jobs, we could not have won." Cano also praised Rodney for being a team player. "He could have said, 'Look, I have a job with Tampa Bay -- I can't pitch,'" Cano said. "He hasn't put any limits [on his availability]. And really, all of our guys in the bullpen are available at any time. "We, as hitters, just want to get the lead so we can turn it over to the bullpen, and they can do their jobs. They are inspired, and you have seen the results."
Reds will ease Phillips back into spring action

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips has been given some extra time before returning to camp. Phillips was part of Team USA, which was eliminated in the second round of the World Baseball Classic by Puerto Rico on Friday night. Brandon played every day, nine innings every day, and he had to travel cross-country twice." Phillips batted .269 (7-for-26) with one RBI in six games for Team USA. Brandon Phillips called his experience with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic "a dream come true." "Is it a disappointment?" asked Phillips. "Yes, it is. I knew we were going to make it to San Francisco. Everybody dreams of being a winner. And for us not to get there, it stinks a little bit. ... It's tough. You come to play in the WBC, you're not really ready, you're still in Spring Training mode, but you've got to click it on [to] try to win and represent the country." Better luck next time. And Phillips is hoping he gets to be a part of Team USA in the Classic the next time. "This is a dream come true, being a bat boy [as a child] and then playing in this," said Phillips. "It's a goal I can check off on my list. This was so much fun. I mean, it stinks losing, but somebody has got to lose."
"There's no excuses." said Ryan Braun.

Team USA scored only four runs and managed only 14 hits -- 12 of which were singles -- in the final two games. "There's no excuses," said Ryan Braun. "There's no rhyme nor reason for it. The expectation for all of us was to get to San Francisco [for the semifinals and championship game] and ultimately to win in San Francisco. ... At the same time we recognized that it was going to be a challenge, and clearly it was." It was more of a challenge than Team USA could handle.
Vinnie Pestano cares about Team USA baseball; too bad no one else does:

"Choked on the biggest stage of my career," Pestano wrote on his account on Friday. "Let a lot of people down tonight, this is something I cared deeply about and will stick with me. ... Being someone that prides himself on pitching in big moments this was unacceptable, gotta learn from it and be better for it in the future." Pestano also wished his Tribe teammates, infielder Mike Aviles (Puerto Rico) and catcher Carlos Santana (Dominican Republic), luck for the Classic's semifinals in San Francisco. The Netherlands and two-time World Baseball Classic champion Japan are also in the final pool. "This wasn't another game in March for me," Pestano wrote. "This was a win or go home for my country and I failed. I hope you know what it meant to me." Pestano added that suiting up for his country was "the greatest honor" an athlete can receive, and hoped to take part in the Classic again in the future.
Despite USA's early exit, Kimbrel enjoyed Classic

Although the United States was knocked out in the second round, Braves closer Craig Kimbrel called his first classic a "great experience" and enjoyed working with Joe Torre and Greg Maddux. It was a great experience," Kimbrel said. "It was cool to see how much [Team USA manager] Joe Torre really appreciated it and how much fun he had. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth how we went out. But it was still a pretty awesome experience. "Now we're sitting here two weeks before the season starts and I'm ready to go. It's going to be a little different going from high intensity, where every pitch counts, back to Spring Training, where it still counts but you don't have everybody screaming at you like you did in those games."
Baker interested in managing USA someday

Tommy Lasorda, Davey Johnson and Joe Torre have all had turns managing the American squad in the World Baseball Classic. One of these days, Reds manager Dusty Baker would like a shot. "I would like to manage it when I'm through," Baker said Saturday. "I don't want to do it now." "It hurts me to see, not the elimination part, but the fact that most of our best players didn't play," Baker said. "Not to take anything away from the guys there, but there were a lot of players that canceled out for whatever reason. You look at the other countries, there were a lot fewer that canceled. It kind of shows that I don't know if this is as much as American of a game as we'd like to think."
Vogelsong returning to Giants on Sunday

"This is called our national pastime. We haven't fared so well in the first two [Classics]," he said. "It's our obligation to show people that this is our game and that we can be the best team we can be for the next two weeks." "You can feel the intensity even on TV," said Vogelsong, the Giants' leading winner in last year's postseason (3-0). "I'm really looking forward to it."
Rodney's fifth save locks up top seed for DR

From our friend Nick Collias of MLB Trade Rumors was reading the Dominican Republic newspaper El Caribe this morning and passes along a pretty interesting interview with Rays closer Fernando Rodney. Who is going to play in the World Baseball Classic for the D.R. and does not care what the Rays have to say about it. From Collias:

Fernando Rodney was asked if he’s playing by Neftali Ruiz at the dominican paper El Caribe and said, “I want to represent the country. It will be a pleasure to be there in the dominican uniform.” Asked about gaining permission from the Rays, Rodney replied, “You don’t have to ask permission to represent your country.”

I’ve not yet seen any reports about teams discouraging, let alone ordering their players against playing in the WBC, but it’s interesting to see Rodney heading this off at the pass.

The D.R lost twice to the Dutch in the 2006 Classic. "I think that we are not thinking of the past," Rodney. "That was an experience we went through. The important thing is to go to San Francisco just like we have done here and to play there and to thank God because we got to the next round." "I want to represent the country," Rodney told El Caribe.
U.S. leaning on Joe Mauer

"It's a lot of fun," Mauer said. "I've been having a great time. I've said it over and over: This is playoff-type baseball, and guys are really getting after it here in March."
Steve Cishek takes day off before return

"I think, for Cishek, that experience was big for him," Redmond said. "He said he's never pitched in that environment and I think that's important for young guys -- to be in an environment with a lot of pressure, especially with the role he's gonna be in this year. … As a manger or as a coach you sit there and you look and you're evaluating guys and you look at how they do in the biggest situations, and he was tremendous."
Giancarlo Stanton takes day off before return

But it also shouldn't be considered surprising news after the comments Stanton made when asked about his possible participation for Team USA back in September. "Absolutely. Anything that represents your country is a big deal. It's relatively new. To have that be more popular, or make that more important to people, is ideal." "You never know how long a career can be, and you want to get that experience," he added. "You never know how your health will be. In three years, something could go wrong. I'm able to do it now, and have no reason not to." “It’s cool,” Stanton said of the experience. “We’ve had fun so far.” The WBC will showcase Stanton on a national stage for the first time and help make up for last year when he had to pull out of the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby because of a knee injury that required surgery. But the WBC isn’t quite the same as the All-Star Game. “I would put it as sort of an All-Star team with a little more work,” Stanton said of the WBC. “All-Star is more for fun and show for the fans. This is the same talent level, but we’ve got to come out and perform.”

Some members of Team USA were not thrilled with the bit where Dominican closer Fernando Rodney shoots an imaginary arrow skyward after a save, even though he does that with the Tampa Bay Rays as well. At the WBC, he is joined by several Dominican teammates who gather around him, admiring the "trajectory" of the arrow.

Dominicans' ode to joy plays at the WBC, if not MLB

Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco Giants fans have rejoiced in their team winning the World Series twice in the last three years, but they haven't witnessed a championship celebration on their turf, as both titles were clinched on the road.

A world championship celebration at AT&T Park is guaranteed on Tuesday, and there's a very good chance it will be a doozy.

Heck, with the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico earning berths in the World Baseball Classic semifinals starting Sunday, it's likely a dugout-emptying celebration will materialize at the drop of a cap, or at least at the scoring of a run.

No less than 10 Dominicans came out of the dugout to greet catcher Carlos Santana after his fifth-inning home run gave them a 1-0 lead Saturday against Puerto Rico in a game that would decide only seeding, with both clubs already assured of advancing.

Earlier in the tournament, most of the Dominican team spilled out onto the field during a seventh-inning rally, and the Puerto Ricans did the same in an eighth-inning comeback. Both came against Team Italy, which must be wondering why it suddenly deserved to be the object of such antics.

The over-the-top celebrations are a decided contrast to the act-like-you've-been-there ethos that guide the major league regular season, even though in 2012, 95 players from the Dominican - some 11% - appeared on opening day rosters.

It's perhaps unlikely that their unbridled enthusiasm – or histrionics, depending on your vantage point – will ever be embraced in the major leagues. And their antics became a topic of much chatter during second-round play at Miami's Marlins Park - and even at some spring training sites, evoking a variety of opinions.

"That's playing Caribbean ball,'' said Dominican second baseman Robinson Cano. "That's how we play in all our countries. You score a run and the entire dugout comes out to greet the teammate.''

That may turn the WBC semifinals and final into a carnival atmosphere. Sunday night, Puerto Rico takes on two-time defending champion Japan in one semifinal, while the Dominican and the Netherlands meet Monday, with the winners playing for the championship Tuesday.

Even the Netherlands team may get in the act, considering its large contingent of players from its Caribbean territory of Curacao.

Some members of Team USA were put off watching Dominican players literally jump for joy during their tiebreaking rally in a 3-1 victory in the teams' first-ever encounter.

"I don't think my dad would let me play the next day if I did that growing up,'' Team USA and Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Willie Bloomquist said. "Some people may say, yeah, we need more emotion like that. Other people would say it's ridiculous. It's just a matter of your view.''

As the only professional baseball tournament pitting teams from different countries, the WBC provides a unique setting that combines high-level competition, patriotism and a freedom of expression rarely found in major league games.

That mix is fueled by rabid, boisterous fans who travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to follow some of the clubs, making for an often electric atmosphere.

R.A. Dickey, who started the U.S.-Dominican matchup, said it felt like a playoff game, with the loudest crowd he'd heard as a major leaguer. And the Dominican players clearly fed off it.

"The emotion is part of what they bring with that culture,'' Dickey said. "They really enjoy a lot of energy. It was like Jose Reyes cloned himself and all of a sudden you had nine Jose Reyeses running around.''

Folks in San Francisco are in for some raucous games, with Latin music, lots and lots of air horns and a bunch of red, white and blue flags that don't represent the USA.

They may never have seen the flair for the game, joie de vivre and unrestrained passion the Dominican and Puerto Rican teams bring, with imaginary arrows being shot into the sky, pretend phone calls between teammates and the occasional pitcher doing a 360 turn after a big out.

Of the two clubs, the Dominicans seem more demonstrative, but then they've had more reason to exult, having won all six of their games.

Cano acknowledged his behavior among his countrymen is less restrained than when he wears the New York Yankees' uniform, and perhaps it has helped. He's batting .519 in six games and won MVP honors in each of the first two rounds.

Puerto Rico coach Jose Valentin, who played 16 years in the majors, said what might be perceived as showing up an opponent in the U.S. is simply regarded as expressing emotion in Latin countries.

"It comes from our heart. We don't do it to try to mock the opponent,'' said Valentin, who also toned down his act when playing stateside. "Things happen so quickly that you don't have time to think about it, you just react. Americans tend to be more reserved. You play baseball differently in the United States.''

Some are wondering whether they should.

U.S. second baseman Brandon Phillips, who said he's "into that swag stuff,'' enjoyed watching the Dominicans and believes he would fit in well with them.

Does he foresee that behavior becoming acceptable in the majors?

"The things they did, you will never, ever, ever see during the season. If that were so, baseball would be crazy,'' Phillips said. "But this is the WBC, this is not the playoffs. I feel like anything goes.''

Phillips said he found some of the Dominican reactions over the top, but he'd like to see more emotion displayed in a game that is often regarded as stodgy, with a byzantine set of unwritten rules – thou shall not linger after hitting a home run, thou shall not gloat over a good play – that discourage showmanship.

Some members of Team USA were not thrilled with the bit where Dominican closer Fernando Rodney shoots an imaginary arrow skyward after a save, even though he does that with the Tampa Bay Rays as well. At the WBC, he is joined by several Dominican teammates who gather around him, admiring the "trajectory" of the arrow.

Some major leaguers watching from afar could appreciate the enthusiasm.

"Sometimes I wish our guys had that same kind of emotion,'' said veteran third baseman Eric Chavez of the Arizona Diamondbacks. "But you have to understand it's two different cultures. That's how they show it. They are completely caught up in the moment. You have to like that. I enjoyed watching it.''

Now it's up to the crowds in San Francisco to decide whether they do.

Ortiz reported from Miami. Contributing: Paul White in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Big difference between a single or double elimination tournament and the grind of 162 game regular season.

I don't mind a little celebration in tournament play when you advance.

Vaya con Rios: Puerto Rico KOs two-time champ

Two-run blast in seventh helps bring end to Japan's reign in Classic

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com | 3/18/2013 2:57 A.M. ET

SAN FRANCISCO --

The World Baseball Classic reign for the Land of the Rising Sun is at an end.

The sun set for Japan in a tournament full of upsets and surprises on Sunday as Puerto Rico won, 3-1, at AT&T Park on the strength of a two-run homer by Alex Rios, sending the Puerto Ricans on to the championship game on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

They will play the winner of Monday night's semifinal between the undefeated Dominican Republic and Kingdom of the Netherlands at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Both games can be seen in the U.S. on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

"This means a lot," Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "That's a lot of emotions. We know that a lot of people down in Puerto Rico are watching and this win is huge. The way that these guys have been playing and performing is a huge accomplishment for the people in Puerto Rico -- not only for the players and youngsters, but for the whole country."

Japan won the first two Classics, defeating Cuba, 10-6, at San Diego in 2006 and Korea, 5-3, in 10 innings at Dodger Stadium in '09. Japan was the only returnee this year from the '09 final four. The Japanese sorely missed right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, the MVP of the first two Classics, who is trying to make the Indians roster this spring and declined to play.

Puerto Rico and the Dutch are in the championship round for the first time. P.R has already lost to the D.R. twice this year, once in each of the first two rounds. Italy and Chinese Taipei also made it to the second round with Korea, Mexico, Canada and Venezuela going home early. Those four countries must qualify for the round of 16 of the Classic in 2017.

On Sunday, Puerto Rico won its third elimination game in the last five days, the win over Japan coming after knocking out Italy and the U.S. from the tournament.

For the first time, the Japanese competed with no current Major Leaguers, while Puerto Rico had a lineup full of them, including Rios, Mike Aviles, Angel Pagan, Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina. It might be appropriate that the only Japanese player with experience, Kaz Matsui, was sent up to pinch-hit and flied out to center on the first pitch he faced to end the game.

Prior to it, the legendary Sadaharu Oh and Tatsunori Hara threw out the first pitches simultaneously off the AT&T Park mound. Oh, the all-time king with 868 homers all hit in the Japan leagues, managed the 2006 Classic-winning Japan team. Hara, the current manager of the defending Japan Series-winning Yomiuri Giants, was skipper of the '09 team.

This year's manager, Koji Yamamoto, wasn't up to the task. At the end of the game, as is their custom after a loss, the Japanese lined up along the third-base line in front of their dugout and bowed in unison to the Puerto Ricans as they were celebrating on the field.

"The opponent was a great team today," Yamamoto said. "The hitters were good. They played really aggressively. And the pitchers were especially really good. So it was really hard for us to find the opportunity or seize the opportunity. In that sense, you either win or lose in any game, and today our opponent was better.

Right-hander Mario Santiago shut down the Japanese on two hits and left for precautionary reasons because of forearm stiffness with one out and a runner on second in the fifth inning after tossing 61 pitches. A starter can go as far as 95 pitches in the championship round. Afterward, Santiago said he was fine and could've continued if needed. He wasn't needed as five Puerto Rican relievers combined to shut the Japanese down.

"This game was big for me and big for my family," Santiago said on the field after he was credited with the win. "Everybody in Puerto Rico is happy. Nobody was thinking that we were going to be here. This game was big for everyone."

Puerto Rico took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an Aviles single off Japanese starter Kenta Maeda, who pitched five innings of four-hit ball and was replaced after throwing 80 pitches.

Rios homered deep to left after Aviles singled to open the seventh off reliever Atsushi Nohmi. The White Sox right fielder had a lackluster Classic going into that at-bat. It was his first homer, extra-base hit and RBIs of the tournament.

"For us, this is like Spring Training," Rios said. "We're still in a preparation phase. We have to understand that we're not at our maximum. We have to work on our approach and the game and do our job as well as we can. We can't just be worried about mechanics. It's just the approach. Thanks to our results, which were favorable tonight, we have done well."

The Japanese had a scoring threat with two out in the sixth when right fielder Seiichi Uchikawa tripled to left-center beyond a lunge by Pagan, who seemed to misjudge the liner. But Uchikawa was left on third when left-handed reliever Xavier Cedeno came in and whiffed veteran catcher Shinnosuke Abe.

The Japanese did score in the eighth when second baseman Takashi Toritani hit a one-out triple and scored on Hirokazu Ibata's single. But after Uchikawa singled to put runners on first and second, Japan ran itself out of the inning. The runners were in motion with Abe at the plate and left-hander J.C. Romero on the mound. Ibata went back to second, but Uchikawa got hung up between the bases. Molina simply ran him down for the tag out. Abe grounded out to end the inning.

"The motion of the pitcher was slow," Yamamoto explained. "You could see that through the video. I could see it from the video. And if there's an opportunity, we were saying that the players should run. And with Abe as the hitter, moving to the next base was the right attempt. It failed, but I don't regret the attempt."

It proved to be Japan's undoing. The sun this year on the Japanese has set.

[ One Word "WOW" ]

Japan bows out gracefully in first Classic exit

By John Schlegel / MLB.com | 3/18/2013 3:01 A.M. ET

SAN FRANCISCO --

They gathered on the third-base line, their opponents still celebrating wildly on the infield at AT&T Park. In unison, each player on Team Japan removed his cap and bowed toward the field where the jubilant players from Puerto Rico were dancing, a sign of respect in the face of defeat.

With that, the team that had run through the first two editions of the World Baseball Classic with skill and teamwork, using some of their most famous players with Major League credentials to lift them to a pair of championships, had bowed out of the 2013 tournament.

This time, the fundamentals and the team concept simply weren't enough for the Japanese. They didn't have the arms to shut down their opponents when they needed to the most, and their vaunted fundamentals broke down a couple of times in their final game of the tournament -- including a crucial mistake to kill an eighth-inning rally.

And so it was that, after winning the Classic in 2006 and 2009, Japan found itself eliminated from the 2013 edition Sunday night after a 3-1 loss at the hands of Puerto Rico in the semifinals at AT&T Park. Puerto Rico advances to the Classic final, where it will meet the winner of Monday's semifinal matchup between the undefeated Dominican Republic squad and the upstart club of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

It was a tough way for Japan to go out after so much success in the tournament over the years, but manager Koji Yamamoto had nothing but kind words for his players after the quest for a third consecutive title had fallen short.

"The players, all of them worked really hard, and on such a big stage of international games, this is going to be a benefit for their career as a baseball player, this season and for the future," Yamamoto said.

The proud tradition of Japanese baseball was honored before the game as all-time great and 2006 Team Japan manager Sadaharu Oh and 2009 manager Tatsunori Hara each threw ceremonial first pitches. After the game, the 2013 manager knew this year's team had not reached its ultimate goal.

"Of course I have aimed for three consecutive winning championships, and I had some expectation that we would be able to do that," Yamamoto said.

Part of the reason was that some of the qualities that took them to the top twice before were missing, with one particular fundamental breakdown in the eighth inning Sunday proving costly.

Down by two with runners on first and second and the go-ahead run at the plate in cleanup hitter and team leader Shinnosuke Abe, a double-steal attempt wound up blowing up for Japan. While Seiichi Uchikawa sprinted from first base, Hirokazu Ibata started and then retreated to second, and catcher Yadier Molina came all the way from behind home plate to tag out Uchikawa about three-quarters of the way up the second-base line.

"There was a sign that the double steal can be attempted, and Ibata's start was a little delayed and that was what happened," Yamamoto said.

As for the call of moving the runners and opening up first base with the cleanup hitter at the plate, Yamamoto said J.C. Romero's motion appeared to be ripe for the picking, so he put on the double steal.

"The motion of the pitching was large, as you can see through the video -- I could see it from the video," Yamamoto said. "And if there's an opportunity, we were saying that the players should run. Slugger Shinnosuke Abe was the hitter and moving forward to the next base is the right attempt. It failed, but I don't regret the attempt."

This year's Japanese team did not feature the Major League star power of its predecessors, with Ichiro Suzuki of the Yankees and Yu Darvish of the Rangers among those who didn't participate in the tournament this time around. The team also previously had Daisuke Matsuzaka earning MVP honors in both 2006 and 2009 while providing clutch pitching performances.

Still, Yamamoto clearly had a lot of pride in the team Japan fielded with all Nippon Professional Baseball League players, the only former Major Leaguer being Kaz Matsui -- who flied out to center for the final out of the game.

"As a team, we were all domestic players from Nippon baseball," Yamamoto said. "It's challenging to get adjusted before the season, so as a team, despite the challenges, they really had the unity to fight the game."

Japan displayed its normal sound defense early in the contest, turning a couple of key double plays to get them out of jams. Third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda caught a low liner and doubled off a runner to end the second inning, starting pitcher Kenta Maeda started a 1-6-3 double play in the third inning and catcher Abe stopped Jesus Feliciano's attempt to steal to end the top of the fifth.

The team rallied in the late innings and managed to shut down a bases-loaded rally in the top of the ninth to keep their hopes alive. But, this time, it just wasn't enough against a Puerto Rico team that is excelling in all facets of the game.

"In this case, our opponent was really superior, both in pitching and hitting, and so we were cornered, in a sense," Yamamoto said.

Netherlands to take on DR in second semifinal matchupThe Kingdom of the Netherlands takes on the D.R. tonight at 9 p.m. ET at AT&T Park as the winner moves on to the championship game