Defending champion Japan became the first nation to clinch a quarterfinal berth in the World Baseball Classic, then rallied on Masataka Yoshida, two-run homer in the seventh inning to beat Australia 4-3 on Sunday night and assure first place in its first-round group.
Japan clinched advancement earlier Sunday when South Korea lost to Taiwan 5-4 in 10 innings. Japan's win clinched first place in Group C for Shohei Ohtani and the Samurai Warriors (3-0).
After completing the group Tuesday with a game against the Czech Republic (0-3), Japan will travel to Miami for a quarterfinal on March 14. Australia can clinch a quarterfinal spot by beating South Korea (1-2) on Monday.
Japan starter Tomoyuki Sugano pitched four scoreless innings of four-hit ball, and Australia (2-1) went ahead with an unearned run in the sixth against winner Chihiro Sumida. Aaron Whitefield doubled, stole third and came home on catcher Kenya Wakatsuki's throwing error.
Japan had loaded the bases in the fourth when, with Ohtani at the plate, Shugo Maki was picked off second by catcher Robbie Perkins.
Ohtani walked on four pitches from loser Jon Kennedy leading off the seventh, one of 12 walks by Australia pitchers, and Yoshida pulled a low slider into the right-center field seats for a 2-1 lead. Yoshida has 19 RBIs in WBC play, third behind a pair of Cubans, Frederich Cepeda (23) and Alfredo Despaigne (21).
Teruaki Sato added an RBI in the eighth against Ky Hampton, who forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Seiya Suzuki for a 4-1 lead.
Alex Hall and Rixon Wingrove hit ninth-inning homers off Taisei Ota, who retired Robbie Perkins on a game-ending groundout for his second save.
Kun-Yu Chiang bunted home Chieh-Hsien Chen with the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th for Taiwan, which completed the group at 2-2.
South Korea's Ju Won Kim was thrown out at the plate in the bottom half on Hyeseong Kim's grounder, with first baseman Nien-Ting Wu throwing to catcher Shao-Hung Chiang. Jyun-Yue Tseng retired Do Yeong Kim on a flyout for the save.
Yu Chang and Tsung-Che Chen had solo homers for Taiwan and Stuart Fairchild hit a two-run drive for a 4-3 lead in the eighth, his second home run of the tournament after a grand slam against the Czech Republic,
“That was one of the most fun games I've ever played in my life,” said Fairchild, an outfielder in the Cleveland organization whose mother is from Taiwan.
Do Yeong Kim hit an RBI double in the bottom half that drove in Hyeseong Kim.
Winner Yi Chang got the final out of the ninth. Woo-Suk-Go took the loss.
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