US hands Japan first loss to reach WBC final

Adam Jones delivered the game-winning RBI in the eighth inning as the US toppled Japan 2-1 Tuesday to reach their first World Baseball Classic final, where they will face undefeated Puerto Rico. The Americans made the final by knocking off a Japanese team accustomed to success, as they had a perfect 6-0 record and were looking to win their third title in just four tournaments.
"It means a heck of a lot," said outfielder Andrew McCutchen. "We got a group of guys on this team who have dedicated this time to be able to try and win. Sacrifices had to be made and there are no egos when that door opens." "Everybody's a superstar on this team. But someone's going to have to hit seventh and someone's going to have to hit eighth." The USA will need to beat another undefeated team Wednesday to claim their first WBC title: Puerto Rico steamrolled through the opposition in the first two rounds, before eliminating the Netherlands 4-3 in 11 innings in the other semifinal on Monday.
After getting on the board first in the fourth on a rainy evening at Dodger Stadium, the US had to bide their time against a strong Japanese pitching staff until Jones was able to give them the lead by scoring Brandon Crawford from third base.
Crawford roared home when Japanese third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda bobbled Jones' hot shot. By the time he regained possession the only option left was to throw to first for the single out. Japan's lone run came off a 376-foot solo homer to right field by Ryosuke Kikuchi which tied the game 1-1 in the sixth. Tuesday's game was played for the most part in a steady rain that made for a soggy infield and cooler than normal southern California temperatures.
Japan had won both the 2006 and 2009 tournaments and finished third in 2013. The match-up showcased players from the USA's MLB against Japanese stars from the Nippon Professional League, as just one of the Japan players, Norichika Aoki, plays in MLB. Japanese starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano was stellar striking out six, allowing just one run and three hits in six innings of work.