Athletics beat Italy 4-3 ahead of WBC

PHOENIX (AP) — Jed Lowrie had two hits that including an RBI double and Yoenis Cespedes drove in a pair of runs to help the Oakland Athletics beat Italy 4-3 Tuesday in an exhibition ahead of the World Baseball Classic.

The Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo homered in the fourth for Italy, which opens the WBC’s first round Thursday against Mexico. Minnesota Twins minor leaguer Chris Colabello also homered and Washington farmhand Mike Constanzo added an RBI double in the ninth.

Costanzo was thrown out at home, ending the game when he tried to score on a wild pitch.

Coco Crisp and Jed Lowrie singled in the scored in the first against starter John Mariotti, who pitched last season for Quebec in the independent Can-Am League.

In the third, Crisp reached on an infield single to shortstop, stole second and scored on a double off the center-field wall by Lowrie. Yoenis Cespedes drove in Lowrie with a sun-aided single to left.

A’s starter Brett Anderson allowed a hit and a walk in three scoreless innings, striking out three.