WLS Quick News ” Domi Nation – DR Runs Table en Route To Title ”
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.
“There’s only reason why we’re here: We are here to represent our country,” Dominican manager Tony Pena said. “It’s an honor to represent our country and we needed to bring this thing back home. And we did it.”
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.
“I mean, this win is going to go to the whole country of the Dominican Republic because it was hungry waiting for this moment,” Reyes said.
“We stayed together as a team. We had good communication, good chemistry — that’s why we won everything. Like I said before, this win is going to go to the whole Dominican Republic.”
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.
“It’s so exciting to go back home with the trophy for my friends, family, for everybody,” Rodney said.
“We made a good team this year because we don’t have too many All-Star players, but the players we had on the field every day just tried to do it for their country, where they come from and play hard. That’s why we made it so easy.”
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.
