Dominican Republic puts on offensive showcase against Phillies

Jose Reyes clubs a two-run home run during the Dominican Republic's 15-2 rout of the Phillies.

Steve Nesius/Reuters

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) -- Cole Hamels' third start of spring training looked more like batting practice for the Dominican Republic.

Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez and the Dominican Republic put on a relentless offensive display Tuesday in their first exhibition game ahead of the World Baseball Classic, amassing 28 hits in a 15-2 romp over Hamels and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hamels allowed eight runs on 12 hits in 2 2-3 innings.

Hamels, however, wasn't concerned about the results because he's still prepping for the regular season and not at his full strength.

"I can't get off my game plan, because, thank goodness, it doesn't count," Hamels said. "So, that's the situation where I have a game plan of what I'm trying to execute today, no matter what their game plan is. So if it hits at the wrong time, which a lot of the pitches did, obviously it's not going to look good."

Reyes, Robinson Cano and Ramirez each homered. Ramirez and Miguel Tejada had four hits apiece for the Dominican team. Cano had three hits and three RBIs and Edwin Encarnacion also had three hits.

"That was really good," Dominican manager Tony Pena said. "I was glad to see everybody swing the bat the way they did. It's great. They really want to do it and I was just happy to see the way everybody took the field and performed."

Hamels escaped trouble after Reyes' leadoff single in the first but he started the second with four straight hits.

After a relatively quiet first inning, escaping trouble after a leadoff single from Reyes, Hamels gave up four consecutive hits to begin the second.

The Dominican Republic scored four runs apiece in the second and third innings.

Mexico 1, Diamondbacks 0

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Yovani Gallardo and seven other pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout to help Mexico beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0 on Tuesday night.

Humberto Cota drove in Luis Garcia with a line single to right in the fifth off Brad Ziegler for the only run of the game.

Gallardo has been scratched from his start Sunday with the Milwaukee Brewers because of a slight groin strain and his further participation in the World Baseball Classic hinged largely upon his outing in the first of Mexico's two exhibition games.

The right-hander struck out Adam Eaton swinging and Cliff Pennington looking, walked the next two batters and caught Eric Chavez looking to end his only inning of work.

Arizona starter Ian Kennedy gave up two hits with a walk in three innings, striking out three.

Marlins 6, Venezuela 5

JUPITER, Fla. -- Miguel Cabrera homered among his three hits and had four RBIs, but Venezuela, playing hours after the death of President Hugo Chavez, lost to the Miami Marlins 6-5 on Tuesday night in a tuneup for the World Baseball Classic.

Cabrera's two-out, two-run homer down the left-field line off Jordan Smith in the seventh gave Venezuela a 5-3 lead. The reigning AL MVP and Triple Crown winner also had two doubles, including one that scored two runs in a three-run first.

Former Marlins right-hander Carlos Zambrano started with two scoreless innings for Venezuela. Henderson Alvarez then retired his Miami teammates 1-2-3 in the third.

Wade LeBlanc, competing for the fifth spot in Miami's rotation, gave up three runs - two earned - and seven hits in 2 2-3 innings.

Red Sox 4, Puerto Rico 3

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- John Lackey pitched three scoreless innings as he returns from elbow-reconstruction surgery, and the Boston Red Sox beat a Puerto Rico team preparing for the World Baseball Classic 4-3 Tuesday night.

Lackey gave up three hits and struck out two in his third start. Lackey sat out all last season after having Tommy John surgery in November 2011.

Will Middlebrooks homered in the second off Giancarlo Alvarado and Mike Napoli hit a towering solo homer to left field in the fourth. Stephen Drew had a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth.

Canada 7, Brewers 4

PHOENIX -- Michael Saunders homered and Justin Morneau drew a bases-loaded walk, helping Canada beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 Tuesday in a prep game ahead of the World Baseball Classic.

Tyson Gillies and Cale Iorg had RBI singles for Canada in a four-run eighth off loser Michael Gonzalez. Left fielder Adam Loewen jumped against the wall to take away an extra-base hit from Josh Prince with two on and two outs.

Saunders homered off Wily Peralta in the fourth.

Richie Weeks and Carlos Gomez had RBI hits for the Brewers, and Khris Davis hit long home run over the grass berm in left-center in the seventh.

Chris Narveson, trying to earn a rotation job, allowed one run and three hits in 2 2-3 innings.

Bobby Crosby, looking to make the Brewers as an infield utility player, made his spring training debut after missing the first eight games with a strained left quadriceps. Crosby walked and struck out.

USA 4, White Sox

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The U.S. team played to a 4-4 tie with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday in the first of its two exhibition games leading up to the start of the World Baseball Classic.

It was still a losing afternoon for the Americans.

First baseman Mark Teixeira will miss the tournament after straining his right forearm while swinging in the batting cage before the game. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said in Tampa, Fla., that X-rays on Teixeira's hand and wrist area came back negative.

It was unclear who would replace him on the U.S. team.

Giancarlo Stanton drove in three runs and Ryan Braun went 3 for 4 for the U.S., which opens pool play Friday night against Mexico.

Gordon Beckham went 3 for 3 with an RBI for the White Sox.