TOKYO, March 8, (AFP): Slugger Sho Nakata earned a game-winning run by hitting a sacrifice fly in an extra inning to give two-time defending champions Japan a 4-3 victory over Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic on Friday.
The result left Japan to face the Netherlands on Sunday, the winners over powerhouse Cuba 6-2 earlier in the day, vying for a place in the semi-finals to be played in San Francisco from March 17.
“My players were really tenacious at the very last moment,” Japan’s head coach Koji Yamamoto said of Hirokazu Ibata’s timely single, which equalised the score at 3-3 in the ninth inning at two downs.
“I must take my hat off to Ibata. He is really a mentally tough fighter who can hit in that situation. For the winning run, I believed that he (Nakata) would be able to hit at least a fly to the outfield,” he added.

Earlier, Japanese starter Atsushi Nomi gave up one run with a walk when Taiwan had occupied three bases in the bottom of the third inning, and Peng Cheng-min added another by hitting a timely single in the fifth, while Washington Nationals hurler Wang Chien-ming shut out the first six innings.
But Japan once evened it at 2-2 in the eighth inning with Shinnosuke Abe and Hayato Sakamoto hit a timely single consecutively before Chou Sze-chi hit a get-ahead single for 3-2 in the bottom.
However, Takashi Toritani chose a walk and then courageously stole the second base at two downs before Ibata fired a single to the centre for 3-3.
Second baseman Jonathan Schoop was the hero of the Netherlands against the 2006 finalists Cuba, earning four runs, including a three-run homer in the sixth inning.
“It’s a great moment for our country. We have the momentum on our side right now. The guys are playing great. They’re scoring first to keep the pressure off the pitching, they play great defence,” said Dutch head coach Hensley Meulens.

Schoop said: “Maybe I just see the ball well, and try to put the ball in play. I feel comfortable everyday.”
After missing a big chance at two downs and full bases in the first inning, the Netherlands took a 1-0 lead at the beginning of the second when Curt Smith fired a solo home run off Cuban starter Ismel Jimenez.
Andrelton Simmons then hit a single to get Kalian Sams back home, after the left outfielder had hit a double and advanced to the third base on a sacrifice bunt.
Cuba pulled one back with Alfredo Despaigne’s solo home run in the bottom of the second inning, but Schoop stretched the lead to 5-1 by unleashing a three-run homer in the sixth inning.
Yulieski Gourriel pulled another run back for Cuba by hitting a solo homer to trail 2-5 in the seventh inning, but Schoop regained the four-run lead with a double to the left.
Cuba and Taiwan will play each other in a repechage play-off for another chance to reach the final stage.
In Los Angeles, Anthony Rizzo smacked a two-run double in the ninth inning as European champions Italy opened Pool D in the World Baseball Classic with a come-from-behind 6-5 win over Mexico.
Mexican outfielder Edgar Gonzalez allowed the runners to score after he bobbled Rizzo’s flyball in front of a crowd of 4,478 at Salt River Fields stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Robinson Cano hit a pair of doubles and drove in three runs as the Dominican Republic routed Venezuela 9-3 in their Pool C opening-round game Thursday in Puerto Rico.
In Scottsdale, Rizzo belted his double off Sergio Romo, who is the closing pitcher for the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
Jorge Cantu hit a bases-loaded double to right field to give Mexico a 3-2 lead in the first inning after Alex Liddi’s two-run single had put Italy ahead.
Mexico’s Ramiro Pena added a run-scoring double in the second to boost Mexico’s edge to 4-2, but Drew Butera blasted a two-run homer for Italy in the fourth to equalize at 4-4. Luis Cruz put Mexico back on top 5-4 in the fifth with a line drive to centrefield scoring Eduardo Arredondo from second base.
Italy is trying to get out of the opening round of the WBC for the first time after being eliminated early in 2009 and 2006.

Jose Reyes had four hits and Hanley Ramirez blasted a home run for the Dominican Republic, who scored 23 runs in two exhibition games leading up to the tournament.
The Dominicans scored five times in the first two innings then put the game out of Venezuela’s reach with three more runs in the seventh in a game that lasted three hours and 55 minutes.
The game was delayed for 50 minutes because of rain. Once the rain stopped the players had to wait several more minutes because the umpires couldn’t find the game balls.
Host United States and Canada are set to begin their play on Friday. Two teams from each group advance to the second round at Miami, Florida next week.
Canada starts their Pool D play against Italy while the Americans face Mexico.
Meanwhile, Canadian infielder Brett Lawrie pulled out of the event on Thursday because of a strained left rib cage. Lawrie got hurt while fielding a ball at third base during Team Canada’s exhibition game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.