HAVANA, Cuba, March 19 (acn) Defending champions Japan advanced to the semi-finals of the 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) with a 5-0 win over Cuba behind a combined five-hit pitching of starter Hisashi Iwakuma and reliever Toshiya Sugiuchi on Wednesday night at the Petco Park in San Diego, United States.
Japanese starter Hisashi Iwakuma held the Cubans scoreless over six innings, where he scattered five hits while Sugiuchi retired the nine batters he faced in the last three innings.
Japan scored its first two runs in the fourth inning when Cuba centerfielder Yoennis Cespedes dropped Michihiro Ogasawara’s fly with two out and two runners on base. Akinori Iwamura added a run each in the fifth and seventh innings before Ichiro Suzuki had the final score in
the ninth.
Meanwhile, Venezuela beat Team USA 10-6 at the Dolphin Stadium in Miami to claim the top spot of its group.
Now, Venezuela will face the loser of Thursday’s Japan-South Korea game in one of the semifinal matches next weekend at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles while the United States will play the winner.
(Cuba cayó ante Japón y dijo adiós al Clásico)
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