SURPIRSE, Ariz. -- It must have seemed like an intrasquad game at times for the Royals as they watched teammates Salvador Perez and Alcides Escobar rip hit after hit for the other side.
Perez had two hits and Escobar had two triples in leading Team Venezuela of the World Baseball Classic to an 11-0 romp in an exhibition game on Wednesday at Surprise Stadium.
"That's a good thing," Escobar said of his two triples. "When I see my guys on the other side, it makes me so happy. I got to say hi to Ned [Yost] and all the guys."
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Escobar said he didn't get any special favors from Royals pitchers. His first triple came against left-hander Mike Minor. The second was against right-hander Kevin McCarthy.
"They didn't tip me off," Escobar said. "They threw sliders and changeups. No easy ones."
Escobar came close to two home runs.
"The second one, maybe, I thought it was a homer," he said. "But I hit the ball good. Got two triples."
Escobar simply is happy to be playing for his country.
"This is the best team for me," he said. "I get to represent my country. I think every player in any sport is 100 percent for their country."
The World Baseball Classic runs through March 22. In the U.S., games air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premium subscribers in the U.S. have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. The tournament is being distributed internationally across all forms of television, internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games at Marlins Park, Tokyo Dome, Estadio Charros de Jalisco in Mexico, Petco Park, as well as the Championship Round at Dodger Stadium, while complete coverage -- including schedules, video, stats and gear -- is available at WorldBaseballClassic.com.