Domi-nation: DR runs table en route to title

Rodney wraps up shutout as squad is first to finish undefeated in Classic

By John Schlegel / MLB.com | 3/19/2013 11:37 P.M. ET

SAN FRANCISCO --

The Dominican Republic entered the World Baseball Classic with a star-studded roster of Major League standouts and finished as champions, defeating Puerto Rico, 3-0, in a soggy championship final at AT&T Park.

The Dominicans became the first team to roll through the Classic undefeated, keeping their momentum going by jumping into an early lead Tuesday night and holding on for the shutout before 35,703 fans. Their first Classic title follows back-to-back titles by Japan in the first two editions of the international tournament.

Dominican starter Samuel Deduno earned the victory with five shutout innings against Puerto Rico, and Jose Reyes led the offensive attack with a double and a triple. Pedro Strop shut down a late rally, Santiago Casilla pitched a scoreless eighth before his home Giants fans and Fernando Rodney finished off the Puerto Ricans with a Classic-record seventh save, starting a wild celebration on the infield.

Reyes led off the bottom of the first with a double to right field and scored along with Robinson Cano on a double to right-center by Edwin Encarnacion as the Dominicans took the first lead of the much-anticipated championship game, upping their lead to 3-0 on an RBI double in the fifth by Erick Aybar, who had a pair of hits on the night.

Puerto Rico tried to stage a rally with light rain falling in the seventh, with Mike Aviles leading off the inning with a single and Alex Rios walking. But Strop came in and stopped the rally with two strikeouts and a foul pop, with Miguel Tejada running toward the bullpen, reaching out and crashing to the ground while catching the ball off Jesus Feliciano's bat.

Rain predicted for the area first began to fall in the fourth, and in the top of the fifth Deduno asked for the grounds crew to work on the front of the pitching mound as fans broke out their umbrellas and slickers in the stands. Deduno had another pitch slip from his hand, but he wound up striking out Angel Pagan with a runner in scoring position to end the fifth as the rain subsided.

In the home half of the fifth, Alejandro De Aza reached base on a one-out bunt single, moved to second on a groundout by Reyes and then scored when Aybar ripped a double to right-center to give the Dominicans their three-run lead.

After colorful opening ceremonies that honored all 24 teams in the tournament, two of Major League Baseball's greatest pipelines for talent took to the international stage like never before.

With right-hander Giancarlo Alvarado making the start for the visiting Puerto Rico squad and right-hander Deduno taking the ball for the Dominicans, two teams that have met many times before met for the third time during this Classic, the undefeated Dominicans taking all three.

Alvarado lasted just one inning, replaced by Hiram Burgos, who allowed a single in the third to Aybar but then picked him off first base. Deduno left after five innings, allowing two hits while striking out five, replaced by veteran Octavio Dotel in the sixth.

DR starter Deduno in Classic form despite rain

Twins right-hander delivers five scoreless innings in championship game

By Alyson Footer / MLB.com | 3/19/2013 10:47 P.M. ET

SAN FRANCISCO --

He isn't as recognizable as some of his Dominican teammates and he certainly lacks star power compared to the likes of Robinson Cano and Jose Reyes, but Samuel Deduno surely made his presence known in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

The Twins right-hander pitched under less-than-ideal conditions at AT&T Park on Tuesday night, delivering from a soppy mound and peering through drizzly conditions, yet turning in another impressive performance, his third of this tournament.

Deduno, 29, pitched five scoreless innings for the Dominican Republic in the championship game against Puerto Rico, yielding two hits and three walks while striking out five. He left the game with the Dominican ahead, 3-0.

That 76-pitch outing was in line with his previous two -- even more impressive given the elevated levels of competition as teams progress through the tournament.

In the Dominican's 6-3 win over Spain on March 9, Deduno tossed four scoreless innings with five strikeouts. In his second Classic start, a 3-1 win against the United States on Thursday, he allowed one run in four innings with seven strikeouts but did not factor in the decision.

His 17 strikeouts are tops in the tournament.

Deduno split time between the Twins and their Triple-A club in Rochester in 2012. For Minnesota, he was 6-5 with a 4.44 ERA over 15 starts. The 2013 season will mark his fourth year in the big leagues.

With seven saves, Rodney key to D.R.'s run

By Paul Casella / MLB.com | 3/19/2013 11:50 P.M. ET

The final game of the World Baseball Classic ended like every other for the Dominican Republic -- with closer Fernando Rodney and his teammates pointing to the sky as part of the closer's unique victory celebration.

Rodney pitched around an error in a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the Dominicans' 3-0 victory over Puerto Rico in Tuesday's championship game. It was the seventh save of the tournament for Rodney, who was on the mound to finish each of the Dominicans' eight Classic victories.

After Mike Aviles reached on an error to start the ninth on Tuesday, Rodney forced Alex Rios to pop out before striking out Carlos Rivera and Luis Figueroa back-to-back to kick off the Dominicans' on-field celebration.

Rodney notched a save in each of the Dominicans' final seven games, going without a save in only the club's tournament-opening 9-3 victory over Italy. Even then, Rodney pitched a scoreless ninth inning in a non-save situation.

Rodney, the only Dominican pitcher to appear in all eight games, finished the Classic allowing just one hit while striking out eight and walking three over 7 1/3 shutout innings.

Santana celebrates Classic title for Dominican Republic

Carlos Santana and the Dominican Republic completed an undefeated run to their first Classic crown

Fernando Rodney pulls giant plantain from pants during World Baseball Classic intros


By Kevin Kaduk | Big League Stew – Mon, Mar 18, 2013 9:25 PM EDT
Email


Is that a plantain in your pocket or are you just happy to be in the WBC? (Screencap via @rj_reilly)
SAN FRANCISCO — No, that headline isn't a euphemism for something far dirtier. Fernando Rodney actually pulled out a giant plantain and brandished it like a gun during the introductions for Monday's World Baseball Classic semifinal between the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands. Why? Well, we have no idea, really.
But props to Rodney for knowing one of the essential truths of comedy: A random banana — or in this case, plantain —will always generate a laugh. Indeed, Rodney's teammates couldn't contain their smiles after his big reveal.
What's more, it's also a great way to get everyone to stop talking about your crooked cap.
Are you ready for baseball season?

Celebrate DR's win with official title gearThe Dominican Republic went 8-0 in a dominating performance, and you can wear the gear to celebrate the country's first World Baseball Classic title

Torrid stretch earns Cano Classic MVP

By John Schlegel / MLB.com | 3/20/2013 2:05 A.M. ET

SAN FRANCISCO --

Robinson Cano knocked baseballs all over the field and kept the Dominican Republic offense rolling through three different stops on the road to a championship. He deftly made defensive gems look effortless and celebrated with his talented teammates, showing a wide smile and a confident swagger.

In other words, he played like Robinson Cano, and for that he was honored as the Most Valuable Player of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, picked from among a star-studded cast on the championship team from the Dominican Republic as the best of the best.

After the Dominicans closed out their undefeated run to the Classic title in convincing fashion with a 3-0 defeat of Puerto Rico on Tuesday night at AT&T Park, Cano carried the MVP trophy around with him but made it clear he shared it with his teammates.

"Well, this is something that you never are going to get it done by yourself, so I want to thank the guys, my teammates, the manager, also the Dominican team for giving me that opportunity to be here with all these guys, all this great talent," Cano said. "Without my teammates, I would have never won an MVP, so I would say it's not only me, it's about the whole team."

Cano, the All-Star second baseman of the New York Yankees, won MVP honors in pool play as well as group play before doing the same for the tournament following the championship round at AT&T Park, where the Dominicans beat the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Monday night's semifinal before topping rival Puerto Rico on Tuesday to win their first Classic title.

Cano finished the tournament batting .469 (15-for-32) with four doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and six runs scored, leading all Classic players with 15 hits -- a single-Classic record. Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka of Japan was the MVP in each of the first two editions of the tournament.

A 30-year-old left-handed hitter, Cano was a fixture in the No. 3 spot in a star-studded Dominican lineup and provided the offensive fireworks to propel the D.R. to San Francisco. In pool play -- at San Juan, Puerto Rico -- Cano went 9-for-15, following that up with a 5-for-12 performance in group play, which took place at Marlins Park in Miami. Cano, who went 1-for-2 with a pair of intentional walks in the semifinal and drew another intentional pass in the first inning on Tuesday, finished with a Classic-leading 25 total bases.

Cano's contributions went beyond what he did at the plate, as he made several slick fielding plays throughout the tournament, teaming up in a double-play combination with Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes.

"I have to feel blessed to get to play in a combination with Robinson Cano," Reyes said when the club arrived in San Francisco. "He's a superstar, a great player. He makes me better."

Participating in his second Classic, Cano is coming off a 2012 season in which he earned his fourth Silver Slugger Award and his second Gold Glove Award while making his fourth All-Star appearance for the Yankees. Although he struggled in the playoffs, he bounced back to his normal form in the World Baseball Classic.

In fact, Cano might have taken his overall team presence to another level, for Dominican manager Tony Pena said Cano became more of a vocal leader on the club, helping captain Miguel Tejada keep the team in the balanced state of being loose and focused at the same time.

"Now, Robinson Cano is starting to see himself like a leader," Pena said. "He's starting to see himself like giving direction to all the players and talking to the young players."

How much that leadership role translates over to his position with the Yankees remains to be seen, and Cano points out that there are established veterans like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera to fill that role for the Yanks. Also, Cano is heading into his final year before free agency, but his contract situation was far from his mind during this thrilling run to an international title and MVP honors.

"I don't pay attention to the contract," Cano said. "I'm just trying to enjoy this to the maximum extent. We have people like Jose Reyes, [Hanley] Ramirez, [Edwin] Encarnacion, [Octavio] Dotel, [Fernando] Rodney, [Santiago] Casilla -- all of those players. How can I put this? We're just trying to enjoy to the greatest extent possible our time here."

Oh, the D.R. players enjoyed themselves in a big way, to be sure. And while Cano takes home the MVP trophy, what he really takes with him is a part of that larger team trophy and the memories of doing something great for his country with a group of players he admires.

"You come into this wanting to win the big trophy, and that's what happened," Cano aid. "And without my teammates, this [MVP] wouldn't have happened. Every time I went [into the clubhouse], there was music, we had our spirits high. You know what? We were blessed by God, and this has been a privilege. It's a pride to be able to give this back to the D.R. and to my people."

Classic leaves lasting impression on world stage

Dominicans' spectacular run indicative of tournament's high quality of play

By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com | 3/20/2013 2:30 A.M. ET

SAN FRANCISCO --

In the Caribbean and the Far East, in the Netherlands and in Italy, and even in some parts of the United States where winning isn't everything, they're finding one big flaw in the World Baseball Classic.

It won't come around again until 2017.

The 2013 edition of the Classic lived up to its billing. Culminating in the Dominican Republic's 3-0 decision over Puerto Rico in Tuesday night's championship game at AT&T Park, it was by any measure an unqualified success. A novel idea when it took shape in 2006, the Classic has become part of the sport's culture and fabric.

Consider the weight of the words softly spoken by Dominican Republic general manager Moises Alou -- a 17-year Major League veteran with 2,134 hits and 332 home runs -- in the afterglow of his team's 8-0 run to the title.

"To win the way we did is unbelievable," Alou said, seemingly in awe that the team he helped put together had become the first unbeaten Classic champion. "It's the greatest feeling in my career."

In the big picture, what was most remarkable about this 17-day global show was the quality of play. There was no reason to expect baseball this good in March, when bodies are supposed to be getting fine-tuned for the tasks ahead.

This was midsummer good.

Passion and pride, precision and purpose came shining through in the acts and actions of athletes from all corners of the baseball map. That it came down to two Caribbean clubs on a cool, drizzly night in the Bay Area seemed natural and just. It simply meant more to these athletes and their fans. You couldn't miss that.

"Two Latin American teams being in the [final] makes it more exciting," Dominican Republic reliever Octavio Dotel said.

The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico were the best teams in the Classic, but others performed with distinction, from Japan to the Kingdom of the Netherlands (slaying Cuba) to Italy. Oh, the Italians. Team Heartbreak. They had early leads against both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and let them get away. Not everyone can have a Fernando Rodney.

Team USA made some noise but fell silent when David Wright was forced out of the lineup. In this competition, without benefit of the brand of winter ball that warmed the Caribbean athletes, the U.S. is still struggling to catch its Classic stride. It was a .500 team again, third time in a row. But there is no shame in that.

When you're outplayed, you put on your "big boy pants," as NBA superstar Kobe Bryant likes to say, and vow to go to work and be better next time.

There's no pouting in baseball. Japan, champion of the first two Classics, handled its numbing loss to Puerto Rico in the semifinals with dignity and grace. Anyone who has been around Japanese ballplayers would have expected nothing less.

Wait till 2017. That's what they're saying in Japan.

Accepting their runner-up mementos Tuesday night, Puerto Rico's players and staff could have retreated to the clubhouse. But they stood in the rain along the first-base line watching the Dominicans carry an enormous flag across the field, dancing, hugging and jumping around, gold championship medallions swinging from their necks.

"We are a bit disappointed," Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said, "but my guys are leaving with their heads up. This has been a good championship. Here we are. They should be very proud, each member of this team."

Alfredo Griffin, the wise old shortstop who coaches the Angels and was on manager Tony Pena's Dominican staff, assessed the quality of play in this Classic as measurably improved over the first two.

"This was the best Classic," Griffin said. "Players were in better shape. There were some teams with great talent that didn't get to the [Championship Round].

"The talent we had on the 2006 team [in the inaugural Classic] was unbelievable. But this team had better relievers. The bullpen was lights out."

Alou was part of that '06 powerhouse, along with Albert Pujols, Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz and Miguel Tejada. Cuba eliminated that Dominican dream team, 3-1, in the semifinals after it had won five of six.

No missteps this time. Dotel, Pedro Strop, Santiago Casilla and Rodney finished the gem started by Samuel Deduno's five innings. The quartet allowed one hit and two walks with five strikeouts.

"Wow," Alou said. "It's got to be the best bullpen I've ever seen."

Rodney is Mr. March. Appearing in the first and third Classics, the quirky closer has worked 12 spotless innings, allowing three hits and six walks, striking out 15. Ringing up Luis Figueroa for the final out, Rodney slipped into his familiar routine, shooting an imaginary arrow to the heavens as teammates raced to his side.

Oh, yes, the Dominicans can celebrate. They came flying out of the dugout when Edwin Encarnacion crushed a two-run double in the first inning against Giancarlo Alvarado. Why wait until the ninth?

"It's the way we play the game," Dotel said. "We play from the heart. I hope everybody understands that."

Tejada, the voice of calm reason, was a central figure with the '06 and '09 powerhouses that fell short. His best years are behind him, but he is part of a team -- the 2013 champions -- that will be remembered forever in his homeland.

On Tuesday, Tejada said, "We have to leave each other, and that's the only sad thing -- that we will no longer be together as a team. Honestly, this has been an awesome week."

As Robinson Cano, the Classic MVP, put it, "You always remember the first time. This is always going to be in our hearts, for the rest of our lives."

No need to wait till 2017.

Thanks to Classic run, 'baseball is back' in PR

By Sam King / Special to MLB.com | 3/20/2013 2:01 A.M. ET

SAN FRANCISCO --

As a multicolored mess of confetti and light raindrops fell from the sky, Angel Pagan's pride shielded him from the Dominican Republic celebration going on a few feet away.

Less than five months ago, Pagan, the center fielder of Team Puerto Rico and the San Francisco Giants, discovered what it was like to be in the dogpile, to wear the freshly unboxed championship T-shirt and cap.

When Puerto Rico's World Baseball Classic ride ended Tuesday night at AT&T Park -- Pagan's home field -- there weren't feelings of regret or disappointment because the center fielder was able to visualize the sights of his nation.

"Our country is paralyzed right now," said Pagan, who set a Classic record for Puerto Rico with 12 hits. "They are just watching us. No criminality. It's just one country right now."

When the Puerto Ricans upset two-time defending World Baseball Classic champion Japan on Sunday, 74 percent of the televisions in the country were tuned in during the final moments. It was the highest-rated sports broadcast in Puerto Rico in the last year.

"You don't know how much this means," said Carlos Beltran, who has participated in all three Classics. "You think about your family, everybody in Puerto Rico the past few days, there has been no people hurt in the streets. Through sport, we were able to unify a country."

They did so without a lot of star power. Sure, there was the presence of Pagan, Beltran, Alex Rios and Yadier Molina. Cleveland Indians shortstop Mike Aviles drove in a Puerto Rico-record nine runs during the 2013 Classic.

But there were other important contributions. Nelson Figueroa, who pitched at the Triple-A level last season, pitched six shutout innings against the United States last Friday to help Puerto Rico advance to the championship round. Mario Santiago, a Minor Leaguer throughout his career, pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in the 3-1 semifinal victory over Japan on Sunday night.

"We didn't have a lot of big names," manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "The people who were here wanted to be here. They had a mission and that was to give everything."

Victories over Spain and Venezuela propelled Puerto Rico into the second round of the Classic, where its run ended four years ago at the hands of the United States. This time, Puerto Rico avenged a 7-1 loss to the U.S. in round two to win a 4-3 elimination game and advance to the semifinals for the first time.

When the Dominican Republic won a seeding game in the second round, Puerto Rico was forced to fly from Miami to San Francisco and play a game the following day, without preparation, against the favored Japanese.

Again, Puerto Rico was up to the task and stunned Japan with a stellar pitching performance to advance to Tuesday's championship.

Though a 3-0 loss ended an unforgettable journey, it did not diminish the accomplishment.

"To me, this moment was needed for my country," Pagan said. "Baseball is not doing that good. We need to be a positive example for a country and hopefully they are proud of us right now. Baseball is back in Puerto Rico and that's what it is all about."

Looking into Classic's future, MLB sees growth

Success of 2013 event opens possibility of expanded qualifiers for 2017 tournament

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com | 3/20/2013 9:21 A.M. ET

SAN FRANCISCO --

The third edition of the World Baseball Classic was "a home run," Tim Brosnan, Major League Baseball's executive vice president of business operations, said on Tuesday night as the Dominican Republic players were celebrating their tournament victory on the soggy AT&T Park field.

"This has been a great success -- over the top, unqualified," said Brosnan. "It's a worldwide event, and it's about growing the game."

The tournament drew a record 781,429 fans since it began in Asia on March 2, played to huge international television audiences, and Brosnan said it will certainly be back for its fourth running in 2017.

"The Commissioner is 1,000-percent committed," Brosnan said.

Brosnan stood in front of the Dominican dugout, watching the celebration as players jumped on each other and fans reveled in the stands. During the impromptu interview for a handful of reporters, Brosnan took on the negatives and the positives of the tournament, which had its inaugural run in 2006 and was won by Japan in both 2006 and 2009.

Brosnan was asked to address the fact that Team USA has exited early in all three tournaments, having lost this year in the double-elimination second round at Miami to the two finalists, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

About those critics, Brosnan said: "Those are the people who aren't here. Those are the people who aren't watching. It's easy to talk about the negatives of this event, but I would trust that I could name a hundred positives for any negative that anyone offered up. We can start with Brazil, we can go to Chinese Taipei, we can move over to the Netherlands and on and on and on.

"This is a tournament that's actually been going on since November. We've offered 28 countries the opportunity of competing with each other, and when you put the best athletes in uniforms that have their country's names on it, you get a level of passion and competition that generates this kind of excitement."

Brazil and Spain qualified for the Sweet 16 for the first time by winning in a new offseason qualifying round. Chinese Taipei and Italy made it to Round 2 for the first time. The Kingdom of the Netherlands and Puerto Rico exceeded expectations by advancing to the semifinals and final game, respectively.

Mainstream baseball countries Mexico, Canada, Venezuela and Korea were all knocked out in the first round, but only Mexico will have to qualify for the tournament in 2017.

In that matter, Brosnan promised more teams and more qualifiers.

"There's a thousand possibilities," Brosnan said. "There are going to be competitions in the intervening years because it's going to grow larger. The intention is to play the championship every four years, but we might see more qualifiers two years from now. This tournament is just going to continue to grow."

SAN FRANCISCO --

The third edition of the World Baseball Classic was "a home run," Tim Brosnan, Major League Baseball's executive vice president of business operations, said on Tuesday night as the Dominican Republic players were celebrating their tournament victory on the soggy AT&T Park field.

"This has been a great success -- over the top, unqualified," said Brosnan. "It's a worldwide event, and it's about growing the game."



One word! AWESOME! Having not missed an inning of play, I would have to agree with the above descriptions and comments. This was a very well played classic. New stars emerged. Top prospects excelled. Upsets all along the classic trail highways. Only one of the pre-classic favorites made it to the championship game.

Perhaps the best team in the classic, Cuba, never survived the second round of play.

On a sad note:
The Tragic Death of Yadier Pedroso – Cuban Baseball Loses One of Its Great Stars

by Peter C. Bjarkman

................There was much sadness spread across Cuba by a recent Monday night loss to the Dutch ball club – an on-field defeat that sabotaged a World Baseball Classic “dream” and thus robbed Team Cuba of a chance to play this weekend in San Francisco. But now the final days in Tokyo have forever taken on another far more deep and sad irony. Had this year’s WBC Cuban club managed to win that crucial final match it would have meant among other things that Yadier Pedroso and his teammates would have been safely lodged in San Francisco last night; Yadier would not have been on the highway outside Artemisa and such a promising young life would not have been snuffed out in its prime. Such are the mysterious twists and turns of the lives we all live. Once again we must all pause, and refocus, and remember that the loss last night in Artemisa was far greater and far more significant than that momentary defeat earlier in the week in Tokyo. Our prayers today can only be with Yadier, and with his family teammates. Baseball defeats sometimes linger but they eventually fade with the presence of inevitable new challenges on the field of play. But the loss suffered last night is one that will remain with some of us forever.

Glad everyone involved had fun. Now its back to "the real thing".

Deduno's Classic performance impresses Twins

Non-roster invitee posted an 0.69 ERA in three starts for Dominican Republic

FORT MYERS, Fla. --

Right-hander Samuel Deduno's performance in the World Baseball Classic certainly wasn't lost on Twins executives and coaches.

Deduno, who is a non-roster invite to Spring Training after making 15 starts with the Twins last season, started three games for the Dominican Republic in the Classic, and posted an 0.69 ERA with 17 strikeouts and five walks in 13 innings.

He also threw five scoreless innings in the championship game against Puerto Rico to lead the Dominican Republic to its first World Baseball Classic title. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire watched it on television and came away impressed with the way Deduno pitched.

"I'm really happy about how he did there," Gardenhire said. "I think it says an awful lot about what he can bring to the table. He was facing a lot of really good hitters, so it says an awful lot about how he can get guys out. And we saw that last year."

Twins general manager Terry Ryan also liked what he saw from Deduno, who showed improved command, compared to last season when he had a 4.44 ERA, but walked 53 in 79 innings. But Ryan wants to see him go deeper into games, as he only reached the seven-inning mark four times last year and never pitched more than seven frames.

"Starting pitchers you're hoping are going to go seven," Ryan said. "So what's he going to do when he goes seven? They certainly have strict pitch limits in the WBC, but we're looking for innings and wins. And we've said this before, but when he throws it over, he doesn't get hit."

Deduno is expected back to camp on Thursday, and the Twins are trying to figure out a way to work him into some Grapefruit League action, as he's in the mix for the a spot in the rotation along with Liam Hendriks, Cole De Vries and P.J. Walters.

Gardenhire said they hope to pitch him on Sunday against the Blue Jays and might even have other pitchers throw in a Minor League game to make room for him.

"We'll try to keep him on pace so five days from last night," Gardenhire said. "So we'll try to fit him in there somewhere."

In return from Classic, Simmons homers twice

Freeman also goes deep twice, Braves' offense erupts for second straight game

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | 3/20/2013 4:30 P.M. ET

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. --

Freddie Freeman and Andrelton Simmons each hit a pair of home runs, and the Braves' potent offense once again erupted in Wednesday afternoon's 18-9 win over the Pirates at Champion Stadium.

The Braves, who hit five home runs, scored 17 runs in their last game, a win over the Phillies on Monday.

Freeman highlighted his 4-for-4 performance with a pair of two-run shots. Simmons hit a three-run blast, a solo shot and doubled in his first Grapefruit League game since leaving for the World Baseball Classic on Feb. 23.

Freeman finished a triple shy of the cycle and leads the Grapefruit League with seven home runs. The Braves first baseman hit an opposite-field home run off the left-center field scoreboard in the second inning and then capped his productive afternoon by sending a Vin Mazzaro pitch over the right-field wall in the fifth.

Simmons, who helped the Netherlands reach the Classic semifinals, drilled a solo home run off Pirates starter Kyle McPherson in the fourth, and his three-run shot came off Mazzaro in the fifth. The Braves shortstop started a five-run first inning with a double off the center-field wall.

Braves starting pitcher Mike Minor capped the scoring in the first with an RBI double, but experienced his shakiest outing of the spring. He allowed five runs on 10 hits and three walks and lasted only four innings. He recorded five strikeouts -- three against Starling Marte -- and benefited from two Pirates being tagged out at the plate.

The Pirates pulled within 7-5 with a four-run third inning highlighted by Andrew McCutchen's two-run home run. Michael McKenry and McPherson capped the inning's scoring with consecutive RBI singles.

Dan Uggla went 2-for-3 with three runs, Chris Johnson was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Jordan Parraz capped the scoring with a pinch-hit three-run homer in the seventh.

Aviles back with Tribe after great run in Classic

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 03/21/2013 5:14 PM ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --

Mike Aviles was back inside the Indians' clubhouse Thursday, wearing a smile as he was welcomed back from the World Baseball Classic by his teammates.

Aviles suited up for Puerto Rico, which lost in the Classic championship to the Dominican Republic. Despite the end result, the Cleveland infielder was thrilled to take part in the tournament and hopes it will have a lasting effect on the younger generation of ballplayers from Puerto Rico.

"I'd like to think so," Aviles said, "because I definitely think that it gives the kids in Puerto Rico a chance to understand that, 'Hey, there's a lot of good going on.' There's a lot of good ballplayers there, and it's just a matter of you've got to believe in yourself."

Aviles and Tribe catcher Carlos Santana, who played for the undefeated Dominican team that claimed the title, both rejoined the Indians on Thursday, but manager Terry Francona gave them the day off. Aviles and Santana are both scheduled to return to the lineup for Saturday's night game against Arizona at Goodyear Ballpark.

Francona said it will be important for Santana to catch up on the team's signs over the next 10 days.

"All he really needs to get up to speed on is making sure we're all set on signs," Francona said, "and the communication of the signs. He's probably ahead of everybody else as far as playing goes. He caught so many innings and was under real game situations, so he would be ahead of the game as far as that goes."

In eight games with the D.R., Santana hit .273 (6-for-22) with two home runs, one double, three RBIs, five runs and nine walks. Aviles hit .323 (10-for-31) with one homer, one double, four runs and nine RBIs in nine games for Puerto Rico.

Aviles said he received ample at-bats while away from Cleveland's camp.

"I don't know if I would've gotten 30 or so at-bats had I stayed here," Aviles said. "Definitely from an at-bat standpoint, I was able to get my work in, and the ground balls and stuff like that. I got all my work in. I feel ready, and hopefully I'll continue to build on that."

Aviles said the excitement level shown by the fans during each game was a highlight of his Classic experience.

"I've never seen that," he said. "They were so into the game and just so proud to be cheering us on. It was definitely one of those deals where you went to the park and you were excited, because you knew they had your back no matter what. That was my favorite part."

Getting a pair of hits off Indians reliever Vinnie Pestano, who played for Team USA, was also fun for the infielder.

"That was more for the bragging rights," Aviles said with a laugh. "He had been telling me I was 0-for-6 against him before that. Well, I'm 2-for-my-last-2 against him, and hopefully I don't need to face him anymore, so I can hold on to that until the next time."