USA World Cup Team Suffers First Loss In Showdown With Japan

Complete Coverage of USA Baseball World Cup Team

By John Manuel
October 20, 2003

Japan (6-0) won the Group B showdown Sunday with Team USA in the 35th World Cup, taking a 2-1 victory in Santiago, Cuba, thanks to solid pitching and two breakdowns in Team USA's defense. The team of American independent leaguers had been an offensive juggernaut in Cuba, scoring 41 runs in its first five games. But four Japanese pitchers, including an alumnus of Japan's 2000 Olympic team, combined to limit Team USA (5-1) to six hits and one run while striking out nine American hitters.

Tamotsu Sakamoto got the victory with three shutout innings of relief. He took over for a fellow veteran of Japan's industrial leagues, Takayuki Goto, who pitched the first four innings. Reliever Yoshikazu Doi (who pitched in the 2000 Olympics) and Kosuke Matsui finished with a scoreless frame apiece, and Japan's pitchers did not walk anyone.

Team USA got on the board first as Josh Patton (Lincoln) homered in the third inning, his second homer of the tournament. Japan tied the score on a passed ball in the fourth inning, then took the lead in the top of the seventh.

Akihide Shimizu doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a throwing error by Bryan Warner (Lincoln). After reliever (and losing pitcher) Conor Brooks (Brockton) got a pop-out to left for the first out, Daisuke Kusano singled home Shimizu with the winning run.

Team USA starter Jon Cannon (Long Island) worked five innings and allowed one run on three hits and five walks and did not record a strikeout. Japan left eight runners on base.

Team USA completes pool play today when it plays the Netherlands. The Dutch are 3-3 in Group B and tied for fourth place with upstart Brazil. If Brazil beats China and the U.S. beats the Netherlands, Brazil will advance to the medal round. The top four teams in each group advance; Panama (4-2) is in third place in Group B. All Group B teams play seven round-robin games, while Group A teams play six games.

In other World Cup action, Cuba remained undefeated in Group A, handing Canada its third defeat in four games. Cuba won 8-0; Canada has also lost to Korea (17-5) and Taiwan (10-2). Nicaragua edged Korea 3-2 to take over second place in Group A, with Taiwan third and Canada (3-3) fourth. However, Korea is in fifth place and can snatch the fourth and final medal-round spot in Group A from Canada with a win Monday against Italy (1-4).