(Reuters) – The Dominican Republic capped off an unbeaten campaign by defeating Caribbean neighbors Puerto Rico 3-0 to win the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday.
The Dominicans made up for their first-round exit in the 2009 tournament by taking their record to 8-0 after the title game, five pitchers combining for a three-hit shutout on a rainy, chilly night at AT&T Park before a crowd of more than 35,000.
Closer Fernando Rodney struck out Luis Figueroa for the final out to spark a celebration on the mound which continued with the players parading a huge Dominican flag around the field.
Robinson Cano was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament after hitting .469 with two home runs, six runs batted in and six runs scored. The New York Yankees second baseman later fielded a phone call from the president of the Dominican Republic.