Baltimore Orioles beat Cuba all-stars

The game went 11 innings but the Baltimore Orioles eventually beat Cuba's national baseball team 3 to 2 Sunday in an historic game in Havana.

They called it "baseball diplomacy." It was the first game between Cuba and an American team in 40 years. Organizers hoped the match would lead to a thaw in Cuban-American relations.

Before the game began, Cuban President Fidel Castro shook hands with all the Orioles players, to the roar of the cheering crowd. Then, the American national anthem was played, for the first time in decades.

The Cubans did a lot better than many expected, outhitting the Orioles 10-6. And they proved again they have some of the best baseball players in the world. But Harold Baines singled in the tiebreaking run in the 11th inning Sunday, giving Baltimore the 3-2 victory.

The game didn't carry any significance in the Orioles standing; it was only an exhibition game. And attendance was by invitation only.

Major league teams once visited Cuba regularly, but this was the first game since the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles played on March 21, 1959, about two and half months after Fidel Castro's revolution on New Year's Day.

There have been protests from Cuban exile groups in Florida. They're opposed to President Fidel Castro and his one-party communist system. They say the game is a publicity gift for Havana at a time of increased repression against opposition groups.

Meanwhile, all week there's been another exchange between the U.S. and Cuba going on. More than 40 American musicians have been working with Cuban artists and singers writing songs together.