Brian Roberts: American Hero

Okay, perhaps that's a stretch but Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts was pretty effective in his first game as a member of Team USA.

Roberts, called to play in the WBC after Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia strained his oblique, went 3 for 3 with two walks and an RBI while finishing a home run shy of the cycle (video) as the United States eliminated the upstart Netherlands from the competition, 9-3, Sunday.

For Roberts, the call up came as a bit of a surprise as he never knew that he was officially a member of Team USA's provisional roster.

"I never heard from anybody. My trainer in Baltimore made me fill out a piece of paper saying that I was on [the provisional roster]," Roberts said. "Last night was the first time I found out I really was."

And while the decision was completely his, it seems that he was pretty much the team's only hope to fill in for the reigning AL MVP but was more than willing to step up after having enjoyed representing the United States previously while in college in 1997.

With the addition of Roberts, the Orioles now have three stars participating in the World Baseball Classic. Presumed Opening Day starter Jeremy Guthrie is part of Team USA's rotation while third baseman Melvin Mora is part of a Venezuelan team (along with former O's catcher Ramon Hernandez) that handed Puerto Rico its first loss of the Classic, 2-0, Monday night.