世界棒球經典賽首場比賽，中國2:18慘敗日本

中國隊在第4盤曾經一度將比分扳成2:2平，但是日本隊隨後發威，第5，6，7，8盤各得4，3，2，7分，以至於18:2，大比分獲勝。 下麵是官方網站的報道。 China wasn't the pushover Team Japan may have expected, but the Japanese got the rout they were looking for eventually. Still looking for the offensive explosion it lacked through its World Baseball Classic exhibition run, Japan finally found some power, smacking three home runs in its 18-2 win over China, which ended because of mercy rule after eight innings Friday at the Tokyo Dome. Second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka hit a three-run homer off China pitcher Zhao Quansheng in the fifth inning, and center fielder Kosuke Fukudome made it back-to-back bashes with a solo shot. Nishioka, who has just 10 career home runs in his three seasons with the Pacific League's Chiba Lotte Marines, isn't exactly known for his power, but he is fine being the man with the big stick. "There were runners at first and third, so I thought even a bunt for a base hit would bring in a run," Nishioka said. "Then midway through the at-bat, I was thinking about a sacrifice fly. "I'm not a home-run hitter. I never thought that would happen." China had made a respectable showing through four innings, and catcher Wang Wei made the game interesting when his two-run homer off Japan starter Koji Uehara tied the score. "It was a great home run for the Chinese team," Japan manager Sadaharu Oh said. "I was surprised it was still tied (after the fourth). Although it was tied, we didn't panic." Not only did it not panic, Japan actually seemed to come to life. Wang's homer seemingly awoke the Japanese batters, bringing to the surface power that had mostly lain dormant leading up to the World Baseball Classic. And the resulting offensive outburst didn't stop until Japan's seven-run eighth inning invoked the mercy rule and closed the game out. "Our bats didn't do so well, but it started to get good late in the game," Oh said. Uehara struck out six batters in five innings of work, good enough for the win, although not as dominant as when he fanned eight in Japan's first exhibition game the previous Friday. "I think Uehara did all right," said China manager Jim Lefebvre. "His fastball wasn't as fast as it was when we saw him in Sapporo, but he got the outs when he needed them." China racked up three hits against Uehara in the fifth, but Zhang Yufeng hit into a double play to end the threat without doing any more damage. "The bases were loaded, but they were not all clean hits," Oh said. "Uehara's pitching wasn't bad, so I left him in. I wanted him to settle down a little bit. I thought he was good enough to handle it." Oh said said that inability to take control early on may have come about partially because of its Classic expectations, some of which may have come from a pregame team meeting. He told them before the game that if Japan is to realize its World Baseball Classic goals, the players would have to start Friday night against China. "I told them they were well-prepared and that we were at our best," Oh said. "I said let's go and show them we have the spirit and we are the best in Asia. I believe it, and I am sure all the players do too." Once Nishioka's homer turned the game's tide, Japan started playing like it believed it was the best team in Asia. Akinori Iwamura tripled in the sixth, kicking off a three-run frame, punctuated by RBI hits from Michihiro Ogasawara and Tomoya Satozaki, and a sacrifice fly by Nishioka. Hitoshi Tamura had Japan's final homer, a two-run shot in the seventh. Japan batted around in the eighth, and Oh began making some substitutions as Lefebvre cycled in younger pitching. Nishioka tripled in the eighth, driving in a run, and Japan took advantage of China's defensive lapses as well as two walks. Toshiaki Imae pinch-hit for Iwamura in the eighth, and came up with a bases-loaded single. Nishioka's monstrous night saw him finish 2-for-3 with five RBIs. Tamura, Imae and Ogasawara drove in two runs apiece. Designated hitter Nobuhiko Matsunaka was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and three runs scored also for Japan. Zhao was tagged with the loss for China, having given up four runs and two of the homers. Naoyuki Shimizu pitched three innings of relief for Japan, going the distance in Uehara's stead. He gave up no runs and struck out five Chinese. Although China had seven hits, star center fielder Sun Lingfeng was 0-for-4. Second baseman Liu Guangbiao and third baseman Yang Guogang both had two hits for China. Japan faces Chinese Taipei in Classic action on Saturday night, while the Chinese will try to knock off Korea.