• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Cano leads Dominican Republic past Venezuela

Mar 8, 2013 - 4:49 AM San Juan, PR (Sports Network) - Robinson Cano went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI to lead the Dominican Republic to a 9-3 win over Venezuela in the Pool C opener of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Hanley Ramirez smacked a solo homer and scored a pair of runs, while Nelson Cruz added two hits and two RBI for the Dominican Republic, which also got an RBI from Edwin Encarnacion.

Pedro Strop earned the win after tossing 1 2/3 perfect innings. Edinson Volquez started for the Dominican Republic and tossed a perfect first frame, but was pulled following a fifty-minute rain delay in the home half on the inning.

Pablo Sandoval had a two-run double in the third inning for Venezuela. Anibal Sanchez was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs -- two earned -- on three hits in just one-third of an inning before the weather delay.

Cano smacked a two-run double in the first inning before scoring on Cruz's single later in the frame. The four-time MLB All-Star pushed another run across for the home team with a double in the second.

Sandoval's double in the third made it 5-2 before Martin Prado scored on a wild pitch in the fourth to make it a two-run game.

Ramirez smacked a solo shot in the fifth to put the Dominican Republic up 6-3 before it broke the game open with a three-run seventh to account for the final margin.