Japan. 014 010 000 02 8 15 0 Netherlands 014 000 001 00 6 12 0
The Netherlands suffered a 6-8 loss to Samurai Japan at the start of the 2nd round at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Japan led since the fith inning, but the Dutch team tied the game in the bottom of the ninth to send the contest into extra innings. But Japan had the better ending after all, scoring twice in the 11th to secure the win.
With NPB pitchers Ayumu Ishikawa and Rick van den Hurk on the mound to start the game, still offense prevailed over defense early on. Both teams scored five runs in the first three innings.
Japan struck first each time. Shogo Akiyama with a sac fly in the second, Sho Nakata with a three-run home run and Akiyama with a RBI single put Japan ahead 1-0 and 5-1. The Netherlands answered both times in the same frame. Jonathan Schoop hit a solo home run in the second. Andrelton Simmons with a RBI single and Xander Bogaerts with a sac fly preluded a two-run home run by Wladimir Balentien in the third to tie the game again.
Japan then once again broke the tie with a RBI single by Seiji Kobayashi in the fifth. When everybody already thought about Japanese celebrations, Jonathan Schoop hit a RBI single in the ninth to tie the game once more.
It didn’t turn the fate of the game. Japan escaped the bases loaded situation in the ninth and in the 11th Sho Nakata came through again – this time with a two-run single. The Dutch team went down in order in the bottom half of the inning and the extra inning rule in order.