BASEBALL & AUTO RACING
Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com
Monday, March 11, 2013 • Page B5
CUBS 9, PADRES 3
DeJesus wins bunt contest; Cubs beat Padres The ASSOCIATED PRESS MESA, Ariz. – David DeJesus took the jeers in stride, placed the winning bunt just so and posed with the championship belt a few minutes later. The Cubs’ center fielder defended his title in the team’s annual 64-man bunt tournament before Sunday’s 9-3 win over the San Diego Padres. This is the second year that manager Dale Sveum ran the event. It was a way to work on the craft in a fun way, setting point values based on where bunted balls came to rest. And it’s become a big deal in camp, with almost the whole organization in attendance on one of the backfields for the finals. DeJesus beat Nate Hale, who played collegiately and works in the club’s video department for the prize money, a reported $3,400. It was clear that most around the field were rooting for Hale, but DeJesus came through on his last bunt in five rounds of eight attempts. “It’s always easy to [root for the underdog],” DeJesus said. “The guy
with the belt, people be hatin.’ But it’s all right.” The good time was a precursor for what came later when the Cubs’ hitters broke loose. Pitcher Travis Wood and DeJesus singled to start the sixth inning before a two-out, two-run double by Alfonso Soriano and a two-run homer by Dioner Navarro against Tim Stauffer. The Cubs began the day last in the NL in team average (.247) and on-base average (.307) although regulars Anthony Rizzo (World Baseball Classic) and Starlin Castro (injured hamstring) have been out of the lineup for some time. “We’re not going to know anything until we get all eight [regulars] out there,” Sveum said. “We are going to have to be creative in the lineups. It’s not going to be a prolific offense, but it will keep the line moving better than it did last year.” Christian Villanueva added a two-run homer for the Cubs. He has three hits this spring and all of them are home runs.
Padres starter Jason Marquis threw four scoreless innings and allowed two hits. Reliever Andrew Cashner made his first appearance and had a clean seventh inning after coming back from thumb surgery stemming from a hunting accident in December. “We didn’t see any sign of thumb [trouble], which he has shown through all of his workouts,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “It hasn’t been bothering him at all. It was encouraging.” Mark Kotsay hit a two-run double in the third inning off Cubs starter Scott Feldman. Notes: Cubs minor league third baseman Junior Lake was a lineup scratch because of a sore right arm. The timetable for his return was expected to be short. ... Cubs starter Matt Garza (back) was being reevaluated to see if he is ready to begin throwing from the ground after being shut down March 3. The rightAP photo hander originally was hurt Feb. 17. The Cubs’ Dioner Navarro (right) celebrates his two-run home run Sunday with Alfonso ... Padres infielder Logan Forsythe was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis Soriano in the sixth inning of a spring training game against the San Diego Padres in Mesa, Ariz. The Cubs won, 9-3. and will be out three to four days.
WHITE SOX ROUNDUP
Sox split squads split games with Mariners, Reds The ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP photo
The United States’ Craig Kimbrel shouts and pumps his fist Sunday after the final out of a 9-4 win against Canada in a World Baseball Classic game in Phoenix.
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: USA 9, CANADA 4
Team USA advances to Miami Late rally sends Canada home By BOB BAUM The Associated Press PHOENIX – Running out of outs, Adam Jones and the United States suddenly broke loose and saved themselves from a humbling loss. Now, thanks to a fast finish, they’re heading to Miami for the next round of the World Baseball Classic. Jones doubled in the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth inning, Eric Hosmer hit a three-run double in the ninth and the U.S. scored seven times in the last two innings to beat Canada, 9-4, on Sunday. “Words can’t describe it,” Hosmer said, recalling how he felt
standing on second after his big hit. “It is hard to hold your emotions right there. It is just an unbelievable feeling and when you hear the crowd chant ‘USA’ and the other crowd chanting ‘Canada.’ It is an unbelievable experience.” The winner of the game moved on, the loser went home. And for a long while, it didn’t look good for manager Joe Torre’s team. “It would have been embarrassing,” second baseman Brandon Phillips said. “I would have been embarrassed. USA this is where baseball started and we represent our country. I just feel that if we had lost we didn’t do our job. We have to go out there and try to be the first American team to win the WBC. That is our goal.” The U.S. trailed 3-2 after seven innings before erupting. Team USA and Italy each went 2-1 and advanced in Group D while Canada and Mexico went 1-2 and were
eliminated. “We believed in ourselves and turned it around,” Phillips said, “and that is a beautiful thing.” Jones and Hosmer both had a rough week at the plate but came through with the United States on the brink of defeat. Jones’ hit was his second in nine at-bats. Hosmer, a late replacement on the U.S. roster for injured Matt Teixeira, was 3 for 13. Torre said the U.S. lineup had too much talent not to finally come through. “Those two balls that were hit, both Jones and Hosmer, were about as hard as you’ll ever see,” Torre said, “because I think both times the center fielder thought he had a shot at it, and he just had no chance. That ball just took off over their heads. They creamed those.” The Gold Glover Phillips contributed, too, making a diving stop to prevent Canada from tying it in
the eighth, then doubling and scoring in the ninth. Heath Bell pitched a scoreless seventh to get the victory for manager Joe Torre’s team. Jimmy Henderson took the loss. Canada’s Michael Saunders, of the Seattle Mariners, hit a two-run homer off starter Derek Holland and was chosen the Group D MVP, going 8 for 11 in the tournament with seven RBIs. “It’s an honor,” Saunders said, “but it’s really kind of a sour taste in my mouth right now.” Canada manager Ernie Whitt called Saunders “an up-and-coming outfielder that’s going to be a superstar.” The United States gets the No. 1 seed because of its 6-2 win over the Italian squad. The U.S. meets the loser of Sunday night’s Dominican Republic-Puerto Rico game on Tuesday in Miami. Italy faces the winner of that game.
PEORIA, Ariz. – Dayan Viciedo went 3 for 3 with a double and two runs scored, and a White Sox split squad beat the Seattle Mariners, 11-7, on Sunday. Viciedo was in the middle of a five-run first inning that featured non-roster invitee Stefan Gartrell’s grand slam off Mariners starter Andrew Carraway. Seattle’s Michael Morse hit his third home run of the spring, a solo shot off Sox starter Dylan Axelrod. That Dayan was the only hit and run al- Viciedo lowed by the right-hander. Axelrod, who pitched in 14 games and started seven last season, worked three innings for the win. He has allowed one earned run and three hits in eight innings over three outings this spring. Axelrod has walked none and struck out seven. Mariners outfielders Jason Bay and Carlos Peguero both tripled off of Scott Snodgress in the fourth. The Sox’s Brent Morel was 2 for 4 with a home run, and Gordon Beckham added a solo shot. Reds 7, White Sox (ss) 3: At Glendale, Ariz., Sox starter Gavin Floyd allowed four runs and struck out five in 31/3 innings for a Sox split squad in a loss to Cincinnati. “I’m trying to make pitches and act like it’s a middle-of-the-season game,” Floyd said. “I threw all my pitches for strikes, but they just got some good hits off me. I still got some good work in. It is a process of little things here and there. As soon as you can try to emulate a real game, the more prepared you are for the season.” Sox DH Paul Konerko went 0 for 3 after recording hits in eight of his nine previous plate appearances. Sox third baseman Jeff Keppinger was scratched from the lineup because of shoulder soreness, but the ailment is not considered serious. He will not play the field again until Wednesday, but he may be a designated hitter before then. Sox shortstop Alexi Ramirez was hit by a pitch from Reds starter Johnny Cueto, but he remained in the game and was not seriously injured. Cueto was erratic in his second spring start. He walked three and hit another, but completed four innings and gave up just two runs. The Reds’ Shin-Soo Choo got four hits, stole two bases and scored twice, With Team Canada eliminated from the World Baseball Classic, first baseman Joey Votto is expected to return to the Reds’ camp Tuesday. Cincinnati has an off day today.
NASCAR SPRINT CUP: KOBALT TOOLS 400
Kenseth holds off Kahne to win in Vegas By GREG BEACHAM The Associated Press LAS VEGAS – Matt Kenseth decided not to replace any tires during the final pit stop under caution, and the calculated risk put him in the lead. Kenseth knows a bit about risk after his offseason move to Joe Gibbs Racing, and this latest gamble paid off with his third victory in Vegas. Kenseth won Sunday on his 41st birthday in his third start for his new team, barely holding off Kasey Kahne at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for his 25th career victory. “I was real nervous all day,” Kenseth said. “[Kahne] had the best
car. I told [crew chief] Jason [Ratcliff] with about 12 to go that I was sorry we were going to lose. We were just too tight. ... We didn’t have the fastest car there, but we had it where we needed it to be.” Kenseth took charge by taking only fuel on the final pit stop during caution while almost everybody else replaced two tires. He took the lead and held onto it, using his veteran savvy – and a few screamed instructions at his new spotter – to keep Kahne’s impressive Chevrolet behind him to the finish. The frequently laid-back Kenseth celebrated with uncommon vigor after his JGR Toyota crossed the line.
He’s still getting comfortable with his new teammates after leaving Roush Fenway Racing in the highest-profile driver move of the offseason, joining Gibbs after 13 seasons with RFR. “I’m not a huge goal person, but my goal was to win, and to win early,” Kenseth said. “Nobody has put any pressure on me except for myself, but I also know that Coach hired me to come in there, climb in that car and win races.” Pole-sitter Brad Keselowski finished third, with Kenseth’s teammate, Kyle Busch, in fourth and Carl Edwards fifth. Jimmie Johnson, the AP photo overall points leader, was sixth and Driver Matt Kenseth burns out after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Kobalt Tools 400 Dale Earnhardt Jr. seventh. on Sunday in Las Vegas.