Japan 8, Israel 3
Japan
Hayato Sakamoto: 3-4, 1 R, 1 BB
Testuto Yamada: 2-4, 1 BB, 1 SB
Nobuhiro Matsuda: 2-5, 1 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI
Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh: 1-3, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K
Yoshihisa Hirano (W): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Israel
Nate Freiman: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 K
Ryan Lavarnway: 1-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB
Ike Davis: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
Dylan Axelrod (L): 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Well, Israel’s magical run through this tournament has come to an end. They needed a win over Japan to force a tiebreaker with Netherlands for the second round of pool play, but they couldn’t quite pull it off. The game was tied at zero for the first half before Japan put together a five-run sixth inning. Still, this was an exciting week-plus for the Israeli team full of minor leaguers and Indy ballers. They made it further than anyone expected. As for Japan, well, they have been the most utterly dominant team in the tournament winning each of their first six games. They’ll be joining the Netherlands in Los Angeles for the semifinals, which start on Monday.
United States 4, Venezuela 2
United States
Andrew Miller: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Eric Hosmer: 2-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
Adam Jones: 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
Jonathan Lucroy: 2-3, 1 RBI
Alex Bregman: 2-3, 1 BB
Pat Neshek (W): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Venezuela
Victor Martinez: 0-4, 2 K
Rougned Odor: 1-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K, 2 E
Carlos Gonzalez: 1-3, 1 R, 1 K
Ender Inciarte: 0-2, 1 RBI
Hector Rondon (BS, L): 0.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Team U.S.A. starts off their second round with a thrilling defeat over a very talented Venezuelan team behind a great start from Drew Smyly and late-game heroics from the offense. Venezuela jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the third, then tacked on another in the seventh before U.S.A. started coming back. After Eric Hosmer singled and moved over to second on an error from Rougned Odor and to third on a fly out from Andrew McCutchen, the Royals first baseman would score on a sac fly from Jonathan Lucroy. Then, down just one, Team U.S.A. put together a big eighth inning to take the lead. Adam Jones, the team’s hero from the first game of the tournament, led things off with a game-tying, solo homer. Then, with one on and one out, Hosmer hit a go-ahead homer on the first pitch to give U.S.A. the 4-2 lead that they wouldn’t surrender. With games remaining against Puerto Rico and the Dominican, getting off on the right foot was key for Team U.S.A.