World Baseball Classic Day 2: Netherlands undefeated, second loss for Cuba. Japan and Australia open with wins
Italy scored four in the 10th to beat Cuba. Home runs by Bogaerts, Profar and solid pitching led the Dutch over Panama. Ohtani threw four scoreless innings and hit a two-RBI double. Australia outpowered Korea.
The Netherlands remained undefeated on top of Group A. Cuba suffered their second loss against Italy and now face possible elimination. In Group B, Australia stunned favourite Korea, while Shohei Ohtani did it all for Japan against China.
World No. 15 Italy scored four runs in the top of the 10th to beat No. 8 Cuba, 6-3.
The game was a duel between MLB pitchers for five innings. Roenis Elias limited Italy to two hits, while Matt Harvey and Andre Pallante allowed three to Cuba.
Italy scored the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Brett Sullivan and took a 2-1 lead into the eighth.
Yoan Moncada kept Cuba in the game, preventing two potential runs when he caught a sharp liner by Nicky Lopez to end the top of the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth, Erisbel Arruebarruena singled off Italy's closer Matt Festa to score Alfredo Despaigne and send the game to extras.
Raidel Martinez and Onelki Garcia couldn't stop Italy in the top of the 10th. The tie-break runner Sal Frelick stole third. Dominick Fletcher doubled, and John Valente and Nicky Lopez singled to combine four runs.
"I want to congratulate everybody," said Italy's manager Mike Piazza postgame. "We faced difficulties, but we could stay together. We never gave up and deserved this win."
On Friday, 10 March, Italy will play Chinese Taipei while Cuba will take on Panama.
Xander Bogaerts and Jurikson Profar hit solo home runs, and five Dutch pitchers limited No. 12 Panama to one hit to help No. 7 Netherlands to their second win in as many games, 3-1.
Bogaerts also played solid defense at shortstop.
"It's fun. I'm very exhausted right now, very tired. The sun is hot," he said postgame. "But the adrenaline, it keeps you going."
Shairon Martis, who no-hit Panama in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, pitched 3.1 scoreless innings. Kevin Kelly, Franklin Van Gurp and Wendell Floranus took care of the final nine outs.
Panama scored their only run in the top of the sixth on a base hit by Erasmo Caballero off 6-foot-8-right-hander Mike Bolsenbroek.
"It was really a good game," commented Panama's manager Luis Ortiz. "Unfortunately, the best swing of the night [by catcher Christian Bethancourt] was just five feet foul. We lost, but tomorrow against Cuba is another day."
GROUP B
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani pitched four scoreless innings and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs leading World No. 1 Japan to an 8-1 win against No. 30 China.
A crowd of 55,000 welcomed Ohtani as he returned to the Tokyo Dome in a Samurai Japan uniform. Ohtani hadn't represented Japan since the inaugural WBSC Premier12.
Ohtani dominated China on the mound. His fastball touched 100 miles and hit 99 six times. As a batter, he left three runners on base in the bottom of the second, then delivered a two-RBI double in the bottom of the fourth to break the score open.
China stayed in the game and cut the gap with a solo homer by leadoff hitter Pei Liang off reliever Shosei Togo in the top of the sixth. It was the third and final hit by China. Togo, Atsuki Yuasa and Hiromi Itoh retired the last 10 Chinese hitters in order.
Japan extended the lead on a solo home run by Shugo Maki and broke the score open with a four-run eighth inning.
Japan will face Korea, while China will play against Czechia on Friday, 10 March.
No. 10 Australia scored three runs in back-to-back at-bats in the seventh and eighth inning, giving the highly favourite and No. 3 Korea a surprising defeat, 8-7, to open Group B. Left-hander Jon Kennedy got the final out of the sixth inning to earn the win. Josh Guyer, the final of nine Australian pitchers, earned the save.
Australia hit three home runs, a solo shot by Tim Kennelly off starter Young-Pyo Ko in the fifth, a three-run homer by Robbie Glendenning off Won-Jung Kim in the seventh and a two-run dinger by Robbie Perkins off Hyeon-Jong Yang in the eighth.
"I said to myself, If I see that again, just get to the bottom of the baseball. I hit it, and I knew it was one of the best feelings I've had. I remember looking in the dugout and seeing everyone just going crazy," commented Glendenning after the game.
Kim suffered the loss.
Korea scored seven runs on seven hits. WBSC Premier12 2015 winner Euiji Yang hit a three-run home run for Korea in the bottom of the fifth.
Korea's manager Kang-Chul Lee said the loss doesn't change his attitude towards the much-anticipated game against World No. 1 Japan, scheduled for Friday, 10 March.
