USA sends Dutch packing

Baseball looked more like America’s national pastime Sunday night at Miami.

Team USA avoided elimination from the World Baseball Classic, beating the Netherlands 9-3 to ease the sting of a drubbing endured against Puerto Rico the night before.

Jimmy Rollins drove in four runs with a homer, triple and sacrifice fly, and Team USA newcomer Brian Roberts went 3 for 3 with two walks, two runs and two RBIs. Roy Oswalt pitched four scoreless innings, then six relievers completed a 12-hitter.

Even with a six-run lead in the eighth, the Americans remained feisty. Matt Lindstrom gave up a leadoff homer to Bryan Engelhardt, who took a long look at his prodigious drive before jogging around the bases. When Lindstrom’s next pitch sailed behind Vince Rooi, Dutch players took several steps onto the field as they yelled angrily at the pitcher.

Lindstrom retired Rooi, faced three more batters and left the game with an injury that wasn’t immediately disclosed. Left fielder Ryan Braun departed in the ninth with a sore left side.

Still one loss from elimination, the United States will play Tuesday night against the loser of tonight’s game between Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Left-hander Ted Lilly is slated to pitch for the Americans.

The Dutch were eliminated.

Dice-K cools off Cuba: Daisuke Matsuzaka is turning the World Baseball Classic into his personal showcase again.

Pitching in the same ballpark where he led his country to the inaugural WBC title three years ago, Boston Red Sox ace Daisuke Matsuzaka was brilliant in silencing Cuba’s previously undefeated big boppers as Japan opened the second round with a 6-0 win at San Diego.

Matsuzaka is 5-0 in five WBC starts. He’s 2-0 in this edition after going 3-0 in 2006, when he was selected MVP after leading Japan to a 10-6 victory over Cuba in the championship game at Petco Park.

Jones exits WBC: Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones will miss the rest of the World Baseball Classic because of a strain in his right side.

Jones is the second U.S. starter in as many days to pull out of the WBC. Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia was sidelined by an abdominal strain.

Bedard to start for Mariners

Seattle pitcher Erik Bedard will start today’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Peoria, Ariz., but will be limited to one inning while trying to recover from a deep muscle strain.

Bedard missed his last start and postponed two bullpen sessions because of sore buttocks. But the Mariners’ left-handed ace threw 30 pitches during a bullpen session on Saturday and was cleared to resume pitching in games.

Meanwhile, right-hander Brandon Morrow, who has been shelved the past week due to stiffness in his pitching forearm, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session today. If all goes well, Seattle will increase his workload before getting him back into a game. The 24-year-old has appeared in only one Cactus League game this spring.

Contreras sharp for White Sox: A few days after being formally sworn in as a United States citizen, Jose Contreras pitched two shutout innings in his Cactus League debut, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Mariners 15-5 at Peoria, Ariz.