WBC title to Japan
Forget beisbol. This was yakyu at its best, and the inaugural World Baseball Classic belongs to Japan.
Ichiro Suzuki and his less-famous countrymen held off Cuba 10-6 in the championship game Monday night in San Diego, ripping a page out of Cuba’s scorebook by winning a major international tournament.
On a festive night when Cuban and Japanese fans danced to “Surf City” and Sadaharu Oh escorted Hank Aaron – there’s 1,623 homer runs between them – onto the field for the ceremonial first pitch, Japan won the 16-nation tournament that showed baseball in March really can matter.
Suzuki doubled, singled and drove in a run. He also scored three times, including in a four-run first inning that proved Cuba’s pitchers are vulnerable, after all, and in a four-run ninth.
Cuba’s fans perked up when their team, wearing its lucky red uniforms, pulled to 6-5 on a two-run homer by Frederich Cepeda with one out in the eighth. Akinori Otsuka, the former San Diego Padres reliever now with Texas, came on and retired the side.
But Japan added four more in the top of the ninth to secure the win.
Mariners deal Thornton
The Seattle Mariners traded lefty Matt Thornton to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Joe Borchard.
The 29-year-old Thornton struggled last season with the Mariners, going 0-4 with a 5.21 ERA in 55 games. He has a 4.82 ERA in 74 career relief appearances with Seattle.
“It’s difficult to give up on a guy who throws 94 mph,” Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. “Things didn’t work out for Matt here, but hopefully for him everything will come together … in a different environment.”
The 27-year-old Borchard was at Triple-A Charlotte for most of 2005 and finished second in the International League with 29 home runs.
The switch-hitter appeared in 102 career games with Chicago, hitting .191 with 12 homers and 30 RBIs over four seasons. This spring, Borchard was batting .324 with two homers and seven RBIs in 14 games.
•Jeff Baker hit a two-run single in the sixth inning to help Colorado beat the Mariners 8-5 in Peoria, Ariz., strengthening his case to make the Rockies as a reserve outfielder.
The Rockies pushed across five runs in the sixth inning against Seattle pitcher Jesse Foppert, who allowed three hits and walked three in one inning. The Mariners led 5-2 after four.
“(Jesse) has been inconsistent, and that’s a concern,” Seattle manager Mike Hargrove said.
Red Sox send Arroyo to Reds
The Boston Red Sox traded pitcher Bronson Arroyo to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Wily Mo Pena.
Arroyo was 14-10 with a 4.51 ERA last season. The right-hander was part of a deep group of Red Sox starters and had taken a home-team discount when he signed a three-year contract worth $11.25 million on Jan. 19.
Pena, who can’t be a free agent until after the 2008 season, batted .254 with 19 homers and 51 RBIs last season and struck out 116 times with 20 walks.
A 24-year-old right-handed hitter, he could play right field instead of lefty Trot Nixon when left-handers pitch against the Red Sox.
Soriano refuses to take field
Alfonso Soriano refused to play the outfield for the Washington Nationals in what was supposed to be his spring training debut, and GM Jim Bowden said his biggest off-season acquisition will go on the disqualified list if he doesn’t agree to switch positions.
“The player refused to take the field, which we believe is a violation of his contract,” Bowden said.
Soriano, a four-time All-Star second baseman, was listed as batting leadoff and playing left field on a lineup sheet posted in the Nationals’ clubhouse before an 11-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he didn’t take the field.
With play just about ready to start, left field was empty. Nationals manager Frank Robinson then made a defensive substitution, replacing Soriano.
Wright to miss next start
New York Yankees right-hander Jaret Wright will miss his next scheduled start because of back spasms.
Wright, competing for a spot in the rotation, hurt himself while fielding bunts Sunday.