  Big loss Dutch Team against Japan
Nederlands
 TOKYO (Japan) -
The Dutch Baseball Team was mercy-ruled on Sunday, as Japan won 16-4 in seven innings.
The two-time World Baseball Classic-champion collected 17 basehits, including 10 extra basehits, six of which were homeruns.
The six homeruns tied the single-game WBC-record, which was set by Cuba in 2009.
With the win, Japan qualified for the final round in San Francisco.
...The immense scoreboard shows the score...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
The Dutch Team now has to face Cuba again in its next game, which will be played on Monday-evening at 6 PM local time (11 AM Dutch time).
The winner of this game will join Japan to San Francisco for the final games of the WBC, which are scheduled to be played on March 17-19.
The game can be seen live again on ESPN America or via internet at www.nos.nl.
On Tuesday, Pool 2 of the Second Round will start in Miami.
Reigning European Champion Italy already qualified for this round after winning against Mexico and Canada.
Team USA initially trailed 2-0 against the Italians, but won and now faces Canada on Sunday-evening in an elimination game.
The winner of that game advances, for the loser, the tournament ends.
In its previous four games, the hitting and defense of the Dutch squad contributed to the success so far and supported fine pitching.
It was a good, well-working combination that led to three victories and an impressive tournament so far.
But today, the offense, defense and pitching was off-balance against Japan.
The setting might have somewhat contributed: a sold out immense Tokyo Dome with 55.000 spectators.
And of course, a location which was new to almost all players, playing inside.
The first game of the Dutch against Cuba was the first-ever game played inside by a Dutch National Team.
Their only other indoor-game was an exhibition game against the European Champion Dutch National Women Softball Team in February of 2012.
Playing indoors creates other circumstances and players need to adjust to the roof with its lights and other possible obstructions.
But today's loss was simply to big and to convincingly to contribute it to the indoor facility.
In its first game here, the Dutch played a strong game and defeated Cuba, which by then already had played three indoor-games during their First Round in Fukuoka (Japan).
Japan set the tone on the second pitch of the game when lead-off hitter Takashi Toritani drilled the delivery of starting pitcher Rob Cordemans in the stands behind rightfield for a homerun.
Cordemans then walked the next batter, but recovered and followed with a strikeout.
A flyout in leftfield then accounted for the second out, but an error gave Japan another runner, who was then forced out moments later.
So, Cordemans gave up only one run in the first inning, but it set the stage for a productive evening for Japan at the plate.
The offense supported starting pitcher Kenta Maeda, who threw five strong innings.
The righthander struckout nine batters and allowed only one Dutch player to reach base.
That happened in the second inning when Curt Smith hit a 2-out single.
But thereafter, Maeda retired the next 10 batters in a row, seven of them with a strikeout.
Japan rallied for five runs in the second inning.
With one out, Atsunori Inaba singled, then Nobuhiro Matsuda homered to make it 3-0.
Takashi Toritani, who had homered in the first inning, followed with a double and Hirokazu Ibata walked.
Seiichi Uchikawa then hit the third Japanese homerun off Cordemans, this time a 3-run shot, that made it 6-0.
It marked the end for Cordemans, who had pitched great against Australia in the last game of the First Round in Taiwan.
Tom Stuifbergen came in, got a flyout, gave up a single, but ended the inning when a grounder followed.
In the third inning, Stuifbergen gave up an one-out homerun to Atsunori Inaba.
Japan wasn't done yet with its scoring, adding three runs in the fourth inning.
With one out, Seiichi Uchikawa reached on an error and Shinnosuke Abe singled.
Next hitter Yoshio Itoi then connected for Japan's fifth homerun, which also accounted for three runs.
When next hitter Hayato Sakamoto followed with single, Stuifbergen was relieved by Kevin Heijstek, who made his first appearance of the tournament.
The righthander retired the next two batters to end the inning.
...Takashi Toritani sets the tone with his...
...first inning homerun off Cordemans...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Japan added runs in the fifth and sixth inning to lift the lead to 12-0.
In the fifth, Heijstek began with two strikeouts, but then gave up a double to Hirokazu Ibata, who advanced on an error and scored on a double by Shinnosuke Abe.
In the sixth, Sho Nakata singled with one out and later scored on a 2-out double by Nobuhiro Matsuda.
Trailing 12-0, the Dutch was able to do something back in the home of the sixth inning.
The Orange scored four runs with two outs to narrow the deficit to 12-4, which also erased the 10-run difference.
In the sixth, Tetsuya Utsumi became the new pitcher for Japan and he walked lead-off hitter Kalian Sams.
Pinch-hitter Bas Nooij (who also made his first appearance) then popped out, but Andrelton Simmons followed with a single.
Hainley Statia, who had entered the game in the top of the 6th as new second baseman, then struckout, but the bases got loaded when Roger Bernadina was hit by a pitch.
Bernadina was replaced by pinch-runner Randolph Oduber, then the three runners scored when Wladimir Balentien hit a double.
Tetsuya Yamaguchi was then brought in as new pitcher, but he gave up a single to Andruw Jones that scored Balentien.
Moments after the latter scored, Jones was tagged out on the throw from leftfield.
With the four runs, the 10-run difference was erased, but Japan renewed that run-difference and scored even two more runs in the top of the seventh inning to make it 16-4.
Berry van Driel became the new Dutch pitcher and also made his first appearance of the tournament.
He gave up a lead-off single to Hirokazu Ibata, then a flyout followed.
But the bases got loaded when Shinnosuke Abe also singled and Yoshio Itoi was hit by a pitch.
Next, Hayato Sakamoto connected well on a delivery of Van Driel and hit a grand slam homerun, that made it 16-4.
After walking next batter Sho Nakata, Van Driel's night was over and Jonathan Balentina took over.
He walked the first batter he faced, but then a flyout and groundout ended the inning.
In the home of the seventh, the Dutch couldn't avoid a mercy-rule loss.
With one out, Yurendell de Caster (he also made his first appearance) and Kalian Sams both singled, but then Bas Nooij struckout and Andrelton Simmons grounded out to end the game.
| Pitching Stats |
| pitcher | INN | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Rob Cordemans, L | 1.1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Tom Stuifbergen | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Kevin Heijstek | 2.2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Berry van Driel | 0.1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Jonathan Balentina | 0.2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Playing in today's game were:
Andrelton Simmons (SS, 1-for-4), Jonathan Schoop (2B, 0-for-2), Hainley Statia (2B, 0-for-1), Roger Bernadina (CF, 0-for-2, hit by pitch), Randolph Oduber (PR-CF, did not hit), Wladimir Balentien (RF, 1-for-3), Andruw Jones (DH, 1-for-3), Curt Smith (1B, 1-for-3), Xander Bogaerts (3B, 0-for-1), Yurendell de Caster (3B, 1-for-2), Kalian Sams (LF, 1-for-2, walk), Dashenko Ricardo (C, 0-for-1), Bas Nooij (PH-C, 0-for-2).
...In the morning, Manager Hensley Meulens has a meeting...
...with players and scout Calvin Maduro (right)...
...Coach Tjerk Smeets stands at right... | | 
...Jonathan Schoop and Wladimir Balentien give...
...signatures before the game...
...Balentien plays in Japan... |
...The National Anthems... | | 
...Japanese starter Kenta Maeda struckout 9 batters... |
...Dutch starter Rob Cordemans threw only 1 1/3 inning...
...and gave up three homeruns... | | 
...Tom Stuifbergen took over in the 2nd inning...
...He gave up two homeruns to Japan... |
...Kevin Heijstek was the 3rd Dutch pitcher...
...and gave up three doubles... | | 
...Andruw Jones is tagged out in the 6th inning...
...by 2B Takashi Toritani after hitting a single... |
...Berry van Driel faced 6 batters in the 7th...
...5 reached base, one hit a grand slam homerun... | | 
...While Japan celebrates the win in the back...
...a disappointed Kalian Sams walks towards the dug-out... |
| (© All Photos: Henk Seppen) |
(March 10)
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