Adam Jones provided perhaps the best highlight of the World Baseball Classic, when he took a home run away from Manny Machado with a spectacular catch in center field.
Now Jones and Machado are just teammates again.
“Pretty cool catch, pretty great moment,” Jones said. “Sorry it had to be my boy Manny, but it’s part of the game, part of that process.”
Jones is back with the Baltimore Orioles at their camp in Sarasota, Florida, after winning the WBC with Team USA. The international tournament was an opportunity that clearly meant a lot to him, and now he’s hoping he can accomplish something similar with Baltimore.
“To do it with those guys, it was probably the best experience of my life so far, especially with sports,” Jones said. “Hopefully, we can do something special with these guys in the clubhouse with the Orioles, because it was pretty, pretty humbling, pretty special to go out and represent your country, for all the countries to go out and represent their countries.”
After Jones robbed Machado of a homer, Machado – who was playing for the Dominican Republic – doffed his cap and waved it in salute.
“Great picture with USA across my chest right in front of the logo, in front of some American flags,” Jones said. “There’s one guy who doesn’t look impressed at all by it, sitting off to the left like, ‘What?’ I’ve seen the picture. But a pretty great moment, pretty special moment for that team.”
Jones has been with three Baltimore teams that have appeared in the postseason, but hasn’t played in a World Series.
“My main objective obviously is here playing for the Orioles, but that’s Major League Baseball. That’s just the United States,” he said. “This was on a global scale.”
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who played for Puerto Rico, said Jones owed Puerto Ricans an apology. The U.S. beat Puerto Rico in the final, and Jones said reports that Puerto Rico was planning a celebration had motivated the Americans.
“I don’t think I said anything wrong. I just said what we’ve seen motivated us,” Jones said. “It wasn’t a slight at Puerto Rico by any stretch. I don’t think I said anything wrong, and I would never disrespect a country, because that would make totally no sense.”
AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES
METS 3, BRAVES 0
Mets starter Rafael Montero tossed five shutout innings and allowed four hits and a walk. Michael Conforto hit his third spring homer.
Braves starter R.A. Dickey went six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits and a walk. Brandon Phillips had two hits.
PIRATES 5, TIGERS 4
Anibal Sanchez pitched six hitless innings for Detroit, striking out six. Tyler Collins hit a three-run homer off Pirates starter Tyler Glasnow.
Glasnow struck out nine in four innings. Adam Frazier and Pittsburgh prospect Austin Meadows both homered and Francisco Cervelli hit a two-run triple.
MARLINS 1, CARDINALS 0
Miami starter Justin Nicolino went five shutout innings, giving up three hits. Derek Dietrich doubled in a run.
Cardinals starter Lance Lynn, who hasn’t pitched in a big league game since October 2015 due to an elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery, was lifted after one inning for “precautionary reasons, ” general manager John Mozeliak said during the Cardinals broadcast of the game. Lynn didn’t allow a hit or run and struck out one. He’s pitched 15 innings this spring to a 1.29 ERA.
YANKEES 6, BLUE JAYS (ss) 5
Yankees first baseman Greg Bird hit his seventh home run this spring, tying Kansas City’s Pete O’Brien for the big league lead. Adam Warren was roughed up for four runs on four hits and two walks over 3 1/3 innings.
Devon Travis, in his second spring game returning from knee surgery, got two hits for Toronto. Jerrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Goins both homered. Starter Mat Latos gave up two earned runs on five hits and a walk over three innings.
NATIONALS 4, ASTROS 1
Tanner Roark, in his first start for Washington since the World Baseball Classic, gave up one run on three hits over 5 1/3 innings, striking out five. Team USA teammate Daniel Murphy went 2 for 4 with a two-run double while Trea Turner added an RBI and stolen base.
Astros starter Lance McCullers gave up four runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings. Jose Altuve hit a run-scoring double.
PHILLIES 3, RED SOX (ss) 3, 9 INNINGS
Jackie Bradley Jr. homered for Boston. Kyle Kendrick gave up two runs on eight hits, striking out six through six.
Phils starter Alec Asher gave up two runs on three hits and a walk over three innings. Tommy Joseph had two hits.
RED SOX (ss) 7, RAYS 5
Pablo Sandoval, returning from an injury-plagued 2016, hit his fourth spring homer and Rusney Castillo had two hits and scored twice.
Rays starter Blake Snell allowed four runs on six hits and a walk over 4 2/3 innings. Corey Dickerson homered and is hitting .367 this spring.