Hicks homers again

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Puerto Rico is trying to return to baseball prominence.

With the World Baseball Classic about to begin, the Puerto Ricans appear to have their hitting in gear.

Angel Pagan led an All-Star lineup for Puerto Rico’s national team by going 2 for 3 with an RBI in an 8-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday in a tuneup for the WBC.

“It’s hard for us to say how it’s going to go,” Beltran said following the game on the team’s third day together. “Teams are going to be playing good baseball. We have to focus on hitting guys over and playing the game right.”

Puerto Rico starter Giancarlo Alvarado, who plays for the Yokohama Baystars in Japan, gave up a home run in the first inning to Aaron Hicks, the front-runner to win the starting spot in center field and the leadoff role in the lineup.

“He’s a laid-back kid,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He’s paying attention. He’s done some real nice things out there. I like him there just fine. He’s the prototype there. ... Whether he can handle the leadoff role or not, I haven’t decided that. But I’m not afraid of that. He’s fun to watch.”

Twins 2, Red Sox 0

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Mike Pelfrey struck out five in three impressive innings to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 2-0 on Friday night.

It was Pelfrey’s second scoreless outing in a row following a shaky spring debut with his new team. The big right-hander, dumped by the Mets in the offseason, is coming off Tommy John surgery last May and competing for a spot in Minnesota’s rotation.

Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster went 3 2-3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits with two strikeouts.

Minnesota got to Dempster with two outs in the third. Aaron Hicks doubled and scored on Brian Dozier’s single. Ryan Doumit’s run-scoring single made it 2-0.

Brian Duensing, Josh Roenicke, Michael Tonkin and Tyler Robertson combined to pitch six scoreless innings for the Twins, giving up three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Tags: sports, twins, mlb