Game 1 - Japan vs. Netherlands
Japanese starter Ayumu Ishikawa had a strong start, as he retired the first three batters he faced in the top of the first inning, including two strikeouts.
The righthander of the Chiba Lotte Marines led the Pacific League this season with the best ERA.
Former Major Leaguer Jair Jurrjens started for the Orange and gave up singles to the first two batters he faced.
Shogo Akiyama led off with a single and stole second base.
He then moved on a single by next batter Rysosuke Kikuchi and scored the first run in the game on an one-out grounder by Sho Nakata.
Last Wednesday, Jurrjens also started the exhibition game of the Netherlands Team against a semi-professional team and then threw the first inning.
...Nick Urbanus - 2-run single...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
The Netherlands responded with three runs in the top of the second inning.
Lead-off hitter Kalian Sams was hit by a pitch, then Shawn Zarraga singled to put runners at the corners and Dashenko Ricardo followed with a runscoring infield-hit that tied the score.
Zarraga and Ricardo both got into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Stijn van der Meer, then both scored when Nick Urbanus delivered a 2-run single with two outs to give the Netherlands a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, Jurrjens began by striking out Shohei Otani, who is one of the best young players currently in Japan.
Late last month, Otani won the Japan Series with Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and is not only a great pitcher, but also a great hitter.
Between his starts, he is used as a designated hitter by the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
This season, he hit 22 homeruns and had an 1.86 ERA as pitcher, winning ten games.
In the first game, the 22-year old Otani was used as a pinch-hitter.
Earlier in the week, it was reported that (probably) all 30 Major League-teams appeared to have interest in Otani.
However, Otani is under contract with the Ham Fighters and can only become available to play in the Major League when he is 'posted' by his club.
In this compensation-system, a Japanese team notifies the Major League Commissioner and sets a posting fee of 20 million dollar.
Hereafter, there is a 30-day period in which the player can negotiate with any Major League-team.
When a player signs with a team, that club has to play the 20 million dollar transfer fee to his former club.
After Otani struckout in the second, a grounder followed, then Jurrjens walked Motohiro Shima, but he was caught stealing moments later.
In the third inning, Jurickson Profar (lead-off) and Kalian Sams (with one out) singled for the Orange, but stranded.
In the fourth, Randolph Oduber singled with one out and Christopher Garia walked with two outs, but they also were left behind.
Jurrjens retired the side in the third inning.
He then walked lead-off hitter Hayato Sakamoto in the fourth, but hereafter, the Netherlands-defense turned a double play.
...Kalian Sams - 2-run homerun...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the top of the fifth inning, the Netherlands expanded its lead off of new pitcher Shintaro Fujinami.
Lead-off hitter Yurendell de Caster reached on an error, then Kalian Sams belted a 2-run homerun to make it a 5-1 score.
Shawn Zarraga followed with asingle, but a double play and groundout then ended the inning.
But in the bottom of the fifth, Japan staged a 6-run rally to come back and take over the lead.
Shohei Otani showed his power by leading off with a homerun into right-centerfield.
With one out, Motohiro Shima walked and with two outs, Shogo Akiyama singled.
That led to a pitching change, as Jurrjens was relieved by Berry van Driel.
He saw the two runners advance on a passed ball, then got the bases loaded when he walked Ryosuke Kikuchi.
Van Driel then gave up a baseclearing, 3-run double to Hayato Sakamoto that tied the score (5-5).
Hereafter, Lars Huijer took over the pitching, but he gave up a runscoring single to Sho Nakata and an RBI-double to Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh that made it 7-5 in favor of Japan.
After the game had suddenly turned Japan's way, the Orange-offense was silenced.
In the sixth, the Netherlands-side was retired in order by Fujinami.
In the seventh, Yurendell de Caster singled with one out, but was left behind.
In the top of the eighth, Yasuaki Yamasaki became the third pitcher for Japan and he also retired the side.
In the bottom of the eighth, Jim Ploeger became the new pitcher for the Netherlands.
The lefthander began with a strikeout, but then gave up a double to Shohei Otani and was relieved by Orlando Yntema.
He uncorked a wild pitch, but then retired the next two batters.
In the top of the ninth, Nick Urbanus led off for the Netherlands with a single off of new pitcher Daichi Ohsera.
Hereafter, Ohsera struckout pinch-hitter Gianison Boekhoudt.
With that, Japan was two outs away from victory, but that changed moments later, thanks to two back-to-back-RBI-doubles.
With one out, Jurickson Profar singled, then Yurendell de Caster followed with a 2-run double into right-centerfield to make it a 7-7 tie.
Next batter Kalian Sams also doubled to give the Netherlands a renewed lead, 8-7.
That led to a new pitching change, as Naoki Miyanishi took over.
He retired the next two batters, but the Netherlands was leading again.
Now leading 8-7, closer Loek van Mil entered the game for the Netherlands in the bottom of the ninth inning.
However, the righthander began with a walk for lead-off hitter Akira Nakamura.
But hereafter, Van Mil fielded a comeback-grounder for the first out.
A flyout accounted for the second out, but then two errors resulted in a tie score.
First, pinch-hitter Tetsuto Yamada reached on an error by third baseman Stijn van der Meer.
Next, Seiya Suzuki's grounder ended in an error by second baseman Nick Urbanus, which enabled Nahamura to score the tying run.
A flyout ended the at bat and that led to extra innings.
In the top of the tenth inning, with pinch-runner Dudley Leonora and Dashenko Ricardo as tie-break runners, a wild pitch by new pitcher Toshiya Okada led to runners on second and third base.
With two outs, the bases got loaded when pinch-hitter Sharlon Schoop walked.
The inning then ended when Gilmer Lampe (who had entered the game defensively in the bottom of the ninth) popped out.
With one out in the bottom of the tenth, the Japanese tie-break runners advanced on a grounder.
A force play was then created by walking Nobuhiro Matsuda intentionally, which loaded the bases.
But hereafter, Van Mil gave up a walk-off single to Shota Ohno that brought in the winning run and ended the game.
The line-up (and changes) for the Netherlands was as follows:
Christopher Garia (CF,1-for-3), Gianison Boekhoudt (PH, 0-for-1), Gilmer Lampe (LF, 0-for-1), Jurickson Profar (SS, 2-for-5), Yurendell de Caster (1B, 2-for-5), Kalian Sams (RF, 3-for-4), Shawn Zarraga (DH, 2-for-5), Dudley Leonora (PR-DH, 0-for-0), Dashenko Ricardo (C, 1-for-5), Stijn van der Meer (3B, 0-for-4), Randolph Oduber (LF-CF, 1-for-5), Nick Urbanus (2B, 2-for-4), Sharlon Schoop (PH-2B, 0-for-0).
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Netherlands empty-handed in opener against Japan
BUNKYO, TOKYO (Japan) -
The Netherlands Kingdom Team ended up short in the first game against Samurai Japan on Saturday-evening (November 12).
The Orange squad led 5-1 halfway the fifth inning, failed to hold onto the lead and went on losing 9-8 in ten innings.
The Netherlands outhit Japan 13-9, including three hits by Kalian Sams, who homered.
Jurickson Profar, Yurendell de Caster, Shawn Zarraga and Nick Urbanus all collected two basehits.
Trailing 1-0, the Netherlands scored three runs in the second inning, highlighted by a 2-run single by Nick Urbanus.
A 2-run homerun by Kalian Sams in the fifth inning then gave the Orange a 5-1 lead.
But in the bottom of the sixth, Japan rallied for six runs and appeared to turn the game its way.
However, the Orange squad staged a late comeback, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth.
Moments later, a walk and two errors led to an 8-8 score in the bottom of the ninth.
Japan then decided the game in the bottom of the tenth inning.
The game in the Tokyo Dome lasted three hours and 57 minutes and was attended by 37,101 spectators.
Game One Netherlands vs. Japan.