SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 7 (UPI) -- Pudge Rodriguez homered twice and drove in four runs Saturday when Puerto Rico blasted Panama 7-0 in Pool D action at the World Baseball Classic.
Rodriguez went 4-for-4 and scored three times before a home crowd in San Juan. The veteran major leaguer's three-run seventh-inning blast capped the rout.
Carlos Delgado had three hits, one a solo homer in the bottom of the second.
Ramon Vazquez hit a fifth-inning sacrifice fly, while winning pitcher Javier Vazquez (1-0) gave up four hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.
Luis Durango had one of Panama's five hits and walked twice.
Javier Castillo had two singles and losing pitcher Bruce Chen (0-1) gave up two runs, three walks and four hits in four innings.
Panama -- which dropped all three of its WBC contests in 2006 -- remains in the hunt for its first win at this year's classic despite Saturday's loss.
