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Japan Wins World
Baseball Classic Title Again
HAVANA, Cuba, March 24 (acn)
With a hard-fought 5-3 win against South Korea in 10 innings Monday
night, Japan won their second straight World Baseball Classic and
remained atop the international baseball world.
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Ichiro Suzuki lined a two-out, two-strike single to
center field off Chang Yong Lim to drive in two runs in the 10th and
ignite a celebration from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to Tokyo.
“I believe that Ichiro’s hit is something I’ll never forget,” said
Tatsunori Hara, the Japanese manager. “It’s an image that will
forever be imprinted in my mind.”
The Japanese were one out from winning in the ninth, but Yu Darvish,
a starter who was asked to close, could not stifle South Korea.
Darvish walked two batters to put himself in a dicey position, then
Bum Ho Lee lashed a two-out single to left to make it 3-3.
But, one inning later, Suzuki powered his team and pleased a
baseball-obsessed country. Darvish was given a second opportunity to
silence the South Koreans in the 10th and he produced a scoreless
inning. Darvish ended the game with a strikeout and notched the win,
but it was Suzuki who saved it. The South Koreans decided not to
intentionally walk Suzuki, who batted with runners on second and
third, and the decision
doomed them.
Japanese starter Daitsuke Matsuzaka was chosen as the Most Valuable
Player of the tournament like three years ago. On this occasion he
finished with a 3-0 win-loss record and a 2.45 earned-run-average.
The third World Baseball Classic will take place in 2013.
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Cuba
