Tokyo. Japan used two home runs by Shinnosuke Abe and eight runs in the second inning to beat the Netherlands 10-6 on Tuesday at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. With the victory Team Samurai finishes the second round in first place, ahead of the Dutch team.
Both teams were already qualified for the semi-finals of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which will start on Sunday, March 17 in San Francisco, California.
After their dramatic walk-off win over Cuba, the Netherlands had a perfect start into the seeding game on Tuesday. Leadoff hitter Andrelton Simmons of the Atlanta Braves opened the game by sending the second pitch of Japan’s starter Kenji Otonari over the fence in left-center field for a home run and a 1-0 Dutch lead.
But it quickly became a side note to the Shinnosuke Abe show. The designated hitter of Japan hit a pair of home runs during an eight-run rally in the second inning to bring his team towards the path for victory lane.
Shinossuke Abe initiated the big inning with a home run to right field, tying the game at 1-1. Afterwards Japan quickly loaded the bases with no outs. Two batters later Nobuhiro Matsuda put them ahead with a one-out RBI single. Hisayoshi Chono followed with a bases clearing double to make it 5-1.
When Kazuo Matsui grounded out and Hirokazu Ibata walked to bring Shinnosuke Abe back to the plate, Dutch manager Hensley Meulens reacted and brought in Jonatan Isenia for starter David Bergman. The move didn’t pan out, as Abe connected for a three-run home run for an 8-1 lead.
Thanks to the offensive outburst it looked like Japan would cruise to another easy win over the Netherlands. But the Dutch national team didn’t want to go down without a fight. Xander Bogaerts with a RBI single and Randolph Oduber with a sac fly got the Dutch back on the board in the seventh. A RBI groundout by Curt Smith and a pair of RBI singles by Kalian Sams and Quintin De Cuba cut the deficit to 6-8 in the top of the eighth.
It was not enough to come back successfully though. Japan added two insurance runs in the bottom of half of the eighth thanks to a two-run single by Hisayoshi Chono to seal the deal.
Hisayoshi Chono (5 RBI) and Shinnosuke Abe (4 RBI) propelled Japan with a combined nine RBI in the game. Kalian Sams scored twice for the Netherlands, while also driving in a run.
Kenji Otonari (W, 1-0) ended up with the win. He allowed one hit, one run and one walk in three innings, while striking out six. Seven relievers closed out the win in front of 30,301 in attendance at the Tokyo Dome.
David Bergman (L, 0-1) was charged with the loss, surrendering four hits, seven runs and two base on balls in just 1 2/3 frames.
With the game the second round in Tokyo is in the books. The Netherlands and Japan will move on to the final round, which will be played from March 17 to 19 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. Cuba and Chinese Taipei got eliminated during the modified double elimination round.
The Dutch team will face the winner of the second round in Miami on Monday, March 18 at 6pm local time, while Team Samurai squares off with the second-ranked team on Sunday, March 17, also at 6pm local time.
All results of the second round in Tokyo:
Friday, March 8, 2013:
Cuba 2 – Netherlands 6
Chinese Taipei 3 – Japan 4 (10 innings)
Saturday, March 9, 2013:
Cuba 14 – Chinese Taipei 0 (7 innings) (Chinese Taipei eliminated)
Sunday, March 10, 2013:
Netherlands 4 – Japan 16 (7 innings)
Monday, March 11, 2013:
Netherlands 7 – Cuba 6 (Cuba eliminated)
Tuesday, March 12, 2013:
Japan 10 – Netherlands 6
Final Standings Second Round in Tokyo:
1) Japan
2) Netherlands
3) Cuba
4) Chinese Taipei
