Osaka – Munetaka Murakami blasted a three-run first-inning homer and Masataka Yoshida drove in four runs as Samurai Japan cruised into the World Baseball Classic on a 9-1 win over the defending Japan Series champion Orix Buffaloes in its final warmup game Tuesday.
The 23-year-old Murakami, who last year became Japan’s youngest Triple Crown-winning hitter, had struggled so far in the team’s warmup games, but capped a four-run first-inning rally after being dropped down to the No. 6 slot in manager Hideki Kuriyama’s lineup at Kyocera Dome Osaka.
Kensuke Kondo and Shohei Ohtani got things started with a walk and a single, with Kondo scoring from second on a single from Yoshida, who replaced Murakami in the cleanup spot against his former team.
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Source : Baseball – The Japan Times