TOKYO (AP) — Defending champion Japan rallied from 1-0 down to beat Australia 4-3 on Sunday behind a seventh-inning, two-run homer with two out by Masataka Yoshida in the World Baseball Classic.
Japan added two insurance runs in the eighth. Ukyo Shuto scored on Teruaki Sato’s double and Sosuke Genda came in when Ky Hampton issued a walk with the bases loaded.
Japan needed those runs.
Alex Hall pulled Australia closer with a home run in the ninth, and
Rixon Wingrove hit another on the next at-bat to make it 4-3.
Japan was already guaranteed of advancing to the quarterfinals, but the victory assured Japan of topping Pool C. Japan closes play on Tuesday against the Czech Republic.
Australia can clinch the other quarterfinal spot from the pool if it defeats South Korea on Monday.
Japan was kept in check throughout the game by Australian pitching until Yoshida got to Jon Kennedy, Australia’s fifth pitcher of the night, with a homer to right field.
Kennedy was the losing pitcher. The win went to Chihiro Sumida with a save for Taisei Ota.
Japan had scored all but one of its runs in the first two games of the tournament with home runs.
Australia scored in the sixth on sloppy baseball by Japan. Aaron Whitefield doubled and then stole third base and came home on a throwing error by Japanese catcher Kenya Wakatsuki.
Japan had its best early chance in the fourth, loading the bases with two out and Shohei Ohtani up. However, that ended when Shugo Maki was picked off second by Australian catcher Robbie Perkins with Ohanti standing in the box.
Although Japan had only five hits, it did get 12 walks from Australian pitching.
Earlier Sunday, Taiwan defeated South Korea 5-4 in 10 innings with Chieh-Hsien Chen — who began as the designated runner — scoring the winning run in the top of the inning on a sacrifice bunt by Kun-Yu Chiang
Taiwan improved to 2-2 and has completed play in Pool C. South Korea is 1-2 and finishes play on Monday against Australia. Australia has already beaten Taiwan.
Taiwan hit three home runs in the game, but it was the small ball that saved the day in the end.
Yu Chang hit a solo shot in the first and Tsung-Che Cheng had another one in the second with Stuart Fairchild giving Taiwan a 4-3 lead on a two-run shot in the eighth. It was Fairchild's second home run of the tournament. The other was 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 Guardians organization who is playing because his mother is from Taiwan.
Fairchild's home run looked like it might be enough, but not quite.
South Korea rallied as it did several times throughout the game and tied it at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Do Yeong Kim with Hyeseong Kim scoring.
South Korea got close to scoring the tying run in the bottom of the 10th but Ju Won Kim was thrown out on a close play at home. A replay showed he was out.
Yi Chang got the victory for Taiwan with Jyun-Yue Tseng picking up the save. The loss went to Woo-Suk-Go.
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