PHOENIX — The A’s roughed up Los Angeles Dodgers starter Josh Beckett to the tune of seven runs on six hits in four innings of a 7-4 victory Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Sunday.
Beckett had strong efforts in his three previous spring starts, but the right-hander couldn’t get many of his pitches to work this time around.
“He couldn’t get the breaking ball over. That’s a big weapon for him,” Mattingly said. “It slows guys down.”
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San Franciscos Ryan Vogelsong and Milwaukees Chris Narveson each pitched six impressive innings Wednesday and the Giants and Brewers played a neat 0-0, 10-inning tie in a game between split squads.
Vogelsong, fresh off a stint with the U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic, gave up three hits, walked one and struck out seven. Narveson had his best outing of spring training, allowing just one hit, walking none and striking out four.
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Robinson Cano, Jose Reyes and Fernando Rodney of the champion Dominican Republic were chosen to the all-World Baseball Classic team.
The squad was announced Wednesday. Fans and media combined to pick the team sponsored by MetLife.
Cano hit .469 and was the tournament MVP. The New York Yankees’ second baseman hit two homers and drove in six runs as the Dominicans went 8-0, capped by a 3-0 win over Puerto Rico on Tuesday night for the third WBC title.
Dominican teammates Edwin Encarnacion, Nelson Cruz, Reyes and Rodney joined Cano on the All-Star team.
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PEORIA, ARIZ. — Left-hander Barry Zito ended his 2012 campaign with a flourish, coming up with two monumental starts that were instrumental in the Giants’ second World Series title in three years.
The Giants’ hope of Zito taking that confidence into the 2013 season seems more likely by the outing. In Tuesday’s 6-3 spring loss to the Seattle Mariners, Zito struck out seven in five innings of work, at times making sluggers Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse look foolish.
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The Dominican Republic played through a steady rain at AT&T Park on Tuesday night to claim its first World Baseball Classic title by beating Puerto Rico 3-0.
The Dominican pitching staff continued its dominating performance in the tournament as the team completed a perfect 8-0 record, the first time that has been accomplished in the WBC. The Dominicans shut out Puerto Rico for the second time in the tournament, following up a 2-0 win on Saturday during the second round in Miami.
Manager Tony Pena said the team was savoring the experience.
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With every crack of the bat at the World Baseball Classic final on Tuesday, one thought reappeared in my head: I can’t wait for real baseball to start.
I could smell the hot dogs, hear the ball hit the mitt, but if Hanley Ramirez wasn’t at the plate getting showered by a chorus of boos, AT&T Park lacked the tension, the drama, the electricity of Giants baseball.
Of course, this is a completely U.S.-centric view of the WBC. If the goal of the tournament is to expand baseball’s global reach, it was a ringing success this year.
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GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer and a triple for the Dodgers in a 7-1 victory over the A’s on Tuesday.
Puig, a 22-year-old Cuban, is hitting .500, a startling 23 for 46. The Dodgers see what everybody else sees. He’s star in the making.
“It’s a rare spring training game when everybody will stop to see somebody hit,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. “But when he comes up, everybody stops what they’re doing.”
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The Dominican Republic’s offense only came to life for one inning, but their four-run fifth was enough to propel them to the World Baseball Classic’s championship game with a 4-1 win over the Netherlands at AT&T Park on Monday.
The victory put the Dominicans one win away from going undefeated during the 2013 tournament, with Puerto Rico waiting and hoping to spoil that streak tonight.
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PHOENIX — Michael Morse broke a sixth-inning tie with his sixth home run of spring training, and the Seattle Mariners defeated the A’s 6-5 on Monday.
Morse homered off starter A.J. Griffin for a 4-3 lead. Morse was reacquired from Washington as part of a three-way deal with the A’s during the offseason.
Dustin Ackley had an RBI single later in the inning against Ryan Cook. Ackley, hitting .321, added another run-scoring single in the eighth off Pat Neshek.
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For the first time in the brief history of the World Baseball Classic, Japan will not be crowned champions.
Puerto Rico used pitching, defense and just enough hitting to scratch out a 3-1 win over the two-time defending champs Sunday at AT&T Park.
Puerto Rico starter Mario Santiago held Japan scoreless for 4¹⁄³ innings before departing with forearm tightness, but five different relievers came out of the bullpen and picked up right where he left off, and a two-run homer by Alex Rios was the difference.
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