Japan come through epic against USA to book place in semi-finals
KAI Tayuka's walk-off single in the 10th inning saw Japan prevail 7-6, meaning the U.S. cannot afford any more defeats if they are to win gold at Tokyo 2020.
Baseball Softball
Japan booked their place in the semi-finals of the Tokyo 2020 men’s baseball tournament with an epic 7-6 win in 10 innings over the United States on Monday (2 August).
The prize for the hosts, seeking a first baseball Olympic gold, is a semi-final with reigning champions Republic of Korea on Wednesday.
Also that day, the USA will meet either the Dominican Republic or Israel in a semi-final eliminator.
Were Japan to lose to Korea and the USA to win on Wednesday, they would meet again on Thursday with a place in the gold medal game at stake.
Japan opened the scoring in Yokohama in the bottom of the third inning when YOSHIDA Masataka smashed the ball through centre field off USA starter Shane Baz, and SAKAMOTO Hayato got home from second base.
Baz was soon in more trouble as Japan loaded the bases, and YANAGITA Yuki’s single scored in Yoshida to make it 2-0.
The was Baz’s last contribution as he was replaced by Brandon Dickson who managed to close out the frame.
Then it was Japan starter TANAKA Masahiro’s turn to get into a jam as Triston Casas scored on a Todd Frazier RBI triple to the wall to halve the deficit.
Tanaka then hit Eric Filia with the very next pitch, and Mark Kolozsvary singled to left field with Frazier making it home to level the game.
With one out left in the top of the fourth, the U.S. went ahead thanks to a Nick Allen double to the right corner with Filia reaching home plate.
In the bottom of the fourth, Sakamoto hit one off the left field wall and scored in MURAKAMI Munetaka to make it 3-3, and the mayhem continued in the fifth.
AOYAGI Koyo came in to pitch for the hosts and gave up two hits before Casas connected for a three-run homer over left field and a 6-3 U.S. lead.
Back came Japan in the bottom of the fifth with SUZUKI Seiya’s solo home run and an RBI single from KIKUCHI Ryosuke KIKUCHI Ryosuke making it a one-run game.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth but U.S. closer Scott McGough could not finish the job as Suzuki made it to third base and then got home on a ground-out from YANAGITA Yuki.
That took the game into extra innings, and Japan placed runners on second and third in the bottom of the 10th.
KAI Tayuka smashed Edwin Jackson Jr high into right field, and Yanagita came home to the delight of his team-mates.
All is far from lost for the United States who would simply need to win their next three games to take gold.