MLB

Cano’s HR leads delirious Dominican rally

CLOCKIN’ ROBBIE: Robinson Cano follows through on a home run that helped propel the Dominican Republic to a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Italy in the World Baseball Classic yesterday in Miami. (EPA)

MIAMI — The celebrations are much more dramatic in the World Baseball Classic. Robinson Cano has the same booming bat, though.

Italy was on the cusp of the biggest upset in WBC history yesterday, taking a 4-0 first-inning lead over the Dominican Republic, but could not hold on as Cano drove a long solo home run in the sixth and then singled in the three-run seventh to help lift the Dominicans to a 5-4 win at Marlins Park in this double-elimination round.

When the go-ahead run scored, the party was on as the players danced onto the field.

“It’s a different style the way we play here than we play in New York,’’ Cano said. “Here you get to go outside the dugout and celebrate. We can jump. We’re all excited to be here and we’ve all got one mission: to win.’’

Cano celebrated like he had won a World Series. Asked if the win was more exciting than the World Series, he smiled and said in a politically correct way: “Well, I would say both.’’

That’s how important the WBC is to the Dominicans.

The code of play is not quite the same in the WBC as it is in the major league season, so when Italy’s Nick Punto slid hard into second in the top of the seventh on a simple force out and caught Cano with a spike, the Yankees second baseman took exception and stared with disgust at the former major leaguer.

There was no real damage done. Still, Italy did put a scare into the Dominican Republic in several ways.

Cano made it clear he did not appreciate the hard slide into second on a force play, saying, “Yeah, I was upset because it was the third time in the game. I don’t care if you slide in a double play, but when it’s a force out at second base, the last thing you want is to get hurt like that. I don’t want anybody to get me hurt or anything like that because they just want to slide hard.’’

The Italian team could care less. Mike Piazza, the hitting coach and ex-Met, said his team is going to continue to play hard.

“There’s a difference between hard baseball and dirty baseball,’’ Piazza said. “I don’t think it was a dirty play. Make the play and get off the bag. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. At this point, every game is important, every inning is important. If the guy bobbles the ball and he’s not going in hard, you could hurt your own team.’’

As the game wore on, Cano was getting off the bag more quickly.

Punto defended his actions, saying, “I was just trying to be safe. I spiked him, so. I was just going as hard as I could, trying to be at the play … caught him with the spike. No big deal.”

Punto did apologize when he popped up off the ground: “Yeah, just ‘Sorry Robbie.’ One of those.”

Cano was not very accepting of the apology.

Two of the remaining four teams will move onto the Final Four in San Francisco.

Piazza was one proud hitting coach when Chris Colabello blasted a three-run home run in the first that put Italy on top 4-0. At that point Colabello was batting .500 in the WBC with six hits over 12 at bats.

The Dominican Republic cut the lead to 4-2 on solo home runs from Jose Reyes and Cano, who will have to carry the Yankees’ offense. Both came off Italy starter Tiago Da Silva, who lasted 5 1/3 innings. Cano’s booming home run to right put him into a long stop-and-stare moment before he slowly walked toward first base. Cano and the Dominican Republic are going to celebrate any way they want in this WBC.