United States edges Mexico in opener Pair of solo homers from Lee, Jones just enough to win By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com PHOENIX -- Derrek Lee has won the World Series. He was on the field less than three years ago when his Florida Marlins shocked the vaunted New York Yankees and locked up Game 6 on the hallowed Yankee Stadium turf. That was the tops for Lee, the All-Star first baseman who flirted with the Triple Crown last season as a member of the Chicago Cubs. Until Tuesday. "I never would have said this yesterday," Lee said after Team USA's 2-0 victory over Mexico in the World Baseball Classic opener for both teams, "but today, being on the field, I think this means more. It's like Jake Peavy said, 'You're not playing for your city, you're playing for your country.' When you have your country behind you, there's a lot of responsibility. There's no monetary motivation for this. Guys came to this team to play for their country . It's as simple as that." After Peavy and Mike Timlin were the first of seven pitchers to shut down the Mexicans on four hits, all of them singles, Lee stirred up the six-hit U.S. offense with a long fourth-inning home run off Mexico starter Rodrigo Lopez. Chipper Jones added another solo shot in the seventh, and that was all the Americans needed in front of 32,727, including a huge contingent from the local Mexican community, who wore the country colors of red and green, danced in the aisles, and wildly jeered Alex Rodriguez each time he came to bat. Asked about the booing, Rodriguez, who chose Team USA over the Dominicans for this Classic, said he was chided by his new teammates. "The Rocket was making fun of me. He said, 'Did you decline to play for the Mexican team, too?'" A-Rod said with a laugh. Timlin pitched a scoreless fourth and earned the win. And Brad Lidge finished up with a 1-2-3 ninth to record the save. A U.S. victory over Canada on Wednesday in a 4 p.m. ET start at Chase would virtually lock up a trip for the U.S. to the second round in Anaheim against Japan and Korea. Team USA's third Pool B game is Friday against South Africa at Scottsdale Stadium. If the U.S. should win this pool, its first game at Angel Stadium would be against Asian pool-winning Korea at 11 p.m. ET on Sunday night. Lee, who started at first base on Tuesday and played the duration, said the feeling of running around the bases after taking Lopez deep to right-center with two out in the fourth was unparalleled. "I was floating, I really was," Lee said. "It was just a great feeling. Really hard to explain. When you hit a home run during the season, you feel like you did your job. When you hit a home run in something like this, it's kind of different." Jones had just replaced Rodriguez as a defensive replacement at third base in the seventh. He was the second batter in the bottom of the inning, and batting left-handed against new Braves teammate, righty reliever Oscar Villarreal, the switch-hitting Jones went the opposite way to left. Jones also hit a two-run poke against the San Francisco Giants in a 12-7 tune-up win at Scottsdale Stadium on Sunday. "I'm just trying to play my way into the lineup. That's what I'm trying to do, " Jones said about his early stellar play for Team USA. But seriously, folks. "I said the other day after the exhibition game that if I don't get another hit the whole tournament, just going around the bases with that USA across my chest is a career highlight," Jones said. "To come back and do it again today and give our bullpen a little breathing room was another huge thrill." And this comes from a man who has played in 92 postseason games, all for the Braves, including a victory in the 1995 World Series. Peavy started for the U.S., and threw only 23 pitches as he breezed through his three innings, allowing just an infield single while striking out three. Because of double plays in the first and second innings, Peavy faced only the minimum nine batters. Peavy went down to the bullpen to put in a little extra work, but he never gave a second thought to leaving the game as planned. "I wanted to win with everything I had within me," the 24-year-old San Diego Padres right-hander said. "I can't tell you the amount of pride you have when you put that uniform on. With all of America watching, the coolest thing about this -- and Tommy Lasorda said it this morning -- when the Dodgers win a game , Dodgers fans are happy. America is our fans. We have a pretty big fan base. We don't want to walk out there and let those guys down." Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com. -- 誠泰COBRAS是王道!!! 19林英傑 17李明進 34楊騏嘉 11林恩宇 15蔡士勤 18許竹見 71田家安 16黃欽智 35楊睿智 12郭銘仁 55謝佳賢 21威拉斯 7馬力歐 9羅敏卿 25丘昌榮 13鄧蒔陽 65吳昭輝 14陳元甲 23許聖杰 49鄭景益 10陳克帆 51柯建鋒 1黃高俊 24莊景賀 5黃仕豪 85周思齊 54吳承翰 3施翔凱 8林義翔 50陳世峰 88郭泰源 COBRAS COBRAS YA YA YA! --

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