Belliard homers in win over Astros

He smacked the first pitch he saw from Steve Sparks.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) -- Ronnie Belliard looked ready for the World Baseball Classic, hitting a three-run homer to lead the Cleveland Indians past the Houston Astros 5-2 Thursday.
The second baseman will be back at the Astros' spring training complex Friday to join his Dominican Republic teammates, who open the 16-nation tournament against Venezuela next Tuesday.
"It's special," Belliard said. "I've been on national teams before, but this is bigger, more prestigious."
Belliard has been preparing all winter, playing with a club team and in the Caribbean World Series. He thinks the extra work will help him make a smooth transition to the WBC.
"For me, it's going to be easy," he said.
Ready to go
Astros relievers Dan Wheeler and Brad Lidge have been looking forward to the tournament, too. They were the first two of eight pitchers used by manager Phil Garner Thursday and were flying to Arizona later in the day to join the United States team.
"I can't wait," Wheeler said. "Lidge and I have been talking about it this whole week. We're pretty excited about going out there."
Wheeler, a right-handed setup man, threw only six pitches -- five strikes -- in the first inning. Lidge, the Astros' All-Star closer, allowed two hits with a strikeout in the second.
The Astros scored twice in the second inning off starter Jake Westbrook. Jason Lane and Adam Everett opened the inning with singles, and Lane scored on Eric Munson's one-out single. Craig Biggio added an RBI single later in the inning.
The Indians mustered only three hits before Belliard smacked the first pitch he saw from Steve Sparks over the wall in left-center.
"I was just trying to put the ball in play," said Belliard, who hit 17 homers last year.
The Astros and Indians play again today in Winter Haven, and Garner said Jeff Bagwell will be Houston's designated hitter.
Bagwell still hasn't made any hard throws in spring training as he nurses his surgically repaired right shoulder. He wants to prove he can play a 16th season, while the Astros say he can't throw and are hoping to collect millions in insurance money.
Notes
Andy Pettitte returned to camp after flying to Houston on Wednesday to have a cyst surgically removed from his forehead. Doctors told Pettitte the growth might have resulted from a staph infection he contracted during an offseason vacation in Maui. Pettitte wore a bandage on Thursday and took grief from Bagwell when he mistakenly put on the wrong-colored pants. "He must've had his brain taken out. He's putting gray pants on," Bagwell cracked. "Oh, yeah," Pettitte said, "we have a game today." ... Astros INF Danny Klassen, a non-roster invitee, is out 10-14 days with a bone bruise and a sprained ACL in his right knee. Klassen, a Canadian, will miss the World Baseball Classic. ... Cleveland INF Lou Merloni said he was OK after a pitch from Astros RHP Dave Borkowski hit him on the left wrist.