MIAMI — Baseball looked more like America's national pastime last night.

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 Brian Roberts went 3 for 3 with two walks, two runs and two RBIs. Roy Oswalt pitched four scoreless innings, and six relievers completed a 12-hitter.

"We didn't want to go home quite yet," manager Davey Johnson said.

Even with a six-run lead in the eighth, the Americans remained combative. Matt Lindstrom gave up a leadoff homer to Bryan Engelhardt, who took a long look at his prodigious drive before jogging around the bases. Lindstrom's next pitch sailed behind Vince Rooi, and the pitcher conceded he was trying to send a message after Engelhardt's homer.

"I thought he took a little bit too long watching it," Lindstrom said.

When Lindstrom barely missed hitting Rooi, Dutch players took several steps onto the field as they yelled angrily at the pitcher. The shouting was in English, said Netherlands catcher Sidney de Jong.

"When you yell stuff like that, you want somebody to hear you," he said. "We had no doubt that was intentional."

"Classless," Dutch manager Rod Delmonico said.

Lindstrom retired Rooi, faced three more batters and left the game with a stiff pitching shoulder. He was scheduled for an MRI exam today.

Left fielder Ryan Braun departed in the eighth with a sore right side, and Team USA also lost Chipper Jones for the rest of the tournament. He was scratched from the designated hitter spot before the game after he aggravated a strain in his right side.

The injury-plagued Americans found themselves so short-handed that catcher Brian McCann played left field in the ninth.

Still one loss from elimination, the United States will play tomorrow night against the loser of tonight's game between Puerto Rico and Venezuela. The Amercans lost to Puerto Rico, 11-1, Saturday.

The Dutch were eliminated.

Japan 6, Cuba 0: Dice-K is more than OK with the World Baseball Classic — and Petco Park. Pitching in the same ballpark where he led Japan to the inaugural WBC title three years ago, Boston Red Sox ace Daisuke Matsuzaka was brilliant in silencing Cuba yesterday in San Diego. Matsuzaka improved to 5-0 in five WBC starts by holding Cuba to five singles in six innings while striking out eight and walking none.

South Korea 8, Mexico 2: South Korea used an unexpected power display of three home runs off Oliver Perez to beat Mexico in the World Baseball Classic last night at San Diego. South Korea, which upset Cuba to win the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, got long balls at spacious Petco Park from Lee Bum-ho, Kim Tae-kyun and Ko Young-min. Kim finished with three RBIs. The South Koreans had only four home runs in four games coming in.

ELSEWHERE

Red Sox: Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia yesterday downplayed the injury that sent him home from Team USA at the World Baseball Classic with a message for fans: "Tell them to calm down. We'll handle this. We'll be all right." Pedroia was examined Saturday night by the Red Sox's team medical director and head trainer. The injury was initially thought to be to his left oblique, but Boston medical staff said it was a strained left abdominal.

Also, Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester finalized a $30 million, five-year contract yesterday, a deal that could be worth $42.75 million over six seasons if Boston exercises a club option for 2014. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2006, Lester came back to go 4-0 in 2007 and then 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA last year.

Athletics/Angels: Former Waipahu star Jerome Williams, in his fourth spring appearance, pitched two scoreless innings for the A's in an 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe, Ariz. Williams has given up four runs in nine innings. Nomar Garciaparra had two hits and scored a run in his debut for Oakland yesterday. Garciaparra signed with the Athletics on March 6 after batting .264 with eight homers in 163 at-bats for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.

Phillies: Chase Utley sees no reason why he won't be able to play for Philadelphia on opening day. The All-Star second baseman went 0-for-2 in his first spring training game since offseason hip surgery and Philadelphia beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1, yesterday at Clearwater, Fla. Utley led off and played four innings. "The more I play and the better I feel, then the more optimistic I am," Utley said. "As long as we continue to have no setbacks, like we haven't had so far, I don't see why we won't be ready on opening day."

Yankees: Jorge Posada caught for the first time since right shoulder surgery last July, and Andy Pettitte threw three scoreless innings in New York's 5-1 win over the Minnesota Twins yesterday at Tampa, Fla. Posada played four innings behind the plate, but didn't have a baserunner attempt a steal against him.

Dodgers: Manny Ramirez aggravated his sore left hamstring yesterday while playing the outfield for the first time this spring at Phoenix. The Los Angeles slugger was hurt in the fourth inning against Colorado while chasing a ball into the left-field corner. He finished the half-inning but was lifted for pinch-hitter Delwyn Young in the bottom half.