Elimination game decides final qualifier for Classic semifinals

real time posted: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:57:00 PM

SAN DIEGO -- It comes down to this for Japan: Defeat Cuba on Wednesday night in a World Baseball Classic elimination game at PETCO Park or pack the bags and go home.

Japan is slated to throw Hisashi Iwakuma, a right-hander who won 21 games last year for the Rakuten Eagles, against Cuban right-hander Yuneski Maya, who's 9-2 in the Cuban league this season with a 1.51 ERA.

The Japanese have had good fortune in the Classic against the Cubans, winning the inaugural championship in the final against them three years ago and defeating them, 6-0, on Sunday in the first game of the bracket when Daisuke Matsuzaka threw six innings of five-hit ball.

"Baseball is difficult," Japanese manager Tatsunori Hara said philosophically after his team dropped a 4-1 decision to rival Korea on Tuesday night. "One little thing can make the difference between winning and losing. There's very little difference between Japan and Cuba. But sometimes even a powerful team ends up losing.

"And in that sense, baseball is fun. But in another sense, it is a serious sport."

Clearly, the Japanese must get more offensively from their quartet of Major Leaguers than they have been. On Tuesday night, Ichiro Suzuki, Kenji Johjima, Kosuke Fukudome and Akinori Iwamura were 3-for-14 with one RBI, that run scoring on an Ichiro ground ball. The three hits were all singles.

Three years ago, the left-handed-hitting Ichiro soared through the tournament, hitting .364 (12-for-33) with hits in each of Japan's eight games. This year has been diametrically different, hitting in the leadoff spot.

Now 35, he's batting .174 (4-for-23) with no extra-base hits and two RBIs in five games.

"Well, it hasn't been like Ichiro," Hara said. "It's like something may be missing. But tomorrow from the first pitch I'm hoping that Ichiro will hit like he should be hitting. That's my hope."

Fukudome and Iwamura aren't doing much better. Fukudome is hitting .267 (4-for-15) with no extra-base hits and no RBIs. Iwamura is hitting .200 (3-for-15) with no extra-base hits and no RBIs. Only Johjima has been hitting the ball with authority at a .471 clip (8-for-17), including a double, homer and two RBIs.

That made it particularly difficult for Hara when Johjima was ejected from Tuesday night's game in the seventh inning for disputing a called third strike.

"He did something regrettable," Hara said. "There was no malicious intent, but it turned out that way. And it caused some trouble."