World Baseball Classic Day 7: USA, DR Clinch, Venezuela Pushed to Tiebreaker Game with Italy
By Keaton Moore
Japan Outlasts the Dutch
The Netherlands put Japan’s undefeated standing in jeopardy with a back-and-forth battle that lasted 11 innings. Nonetheless, the Japanese remain 4-0 in the WBC with a 8-6 victory over the Dutch.
Through the first three innings, every lead taken by Japan was immediately erased by matched scoring from the Dutch. After Japan took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, Jonathan Schoop homered to tie the game in the bottom of the second.
Likewise, Sho Nakata’s home run helped Japan to a 5-1 lead in the top of the third. However, with already two runs scored in the inning, Wladimir Balentien hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the third.
Even when Seiji Kobayashi put Japan in front 6-5 in the sixth, Schoop kept the Netherlands alive with a two-run RBI single in the ninth.
After a scoreless tenth inning, Nakata hit the game-tying RBI single that brought home two runs in the eleventh. As the Netherlands went down in order in the eleventh, they join Cuba in the basement of Pool E.