The energy for the CARNEXT SAMURAI JAPAN SERIES Global Baseball Games opener at the nearly sold-out 36,000 seat Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 was electric.
Samurai Japan starter Kaima Taira, a three-time Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) All-Star and a Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist, took the mound against Team Europe. The crafty right-hander, who earned the 2020 Pacific League Rookie of the Year Award honors pitching out of the Seibu Lions bullpen and the following year set a team record with 20 saves, became a starter in 2023 when he won 11 games.
Team Europe countered with Dutch Hoofdklasse ace and former Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Tom de Blok, who represented Kingdom of the Netherlands in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The Team Europe lineup looked like this:
Engle Beltre, CF; Marek Chlup, RF; Alex Liddi, 3B; Martin Cervenka, C; Juremi Profar, 1B; Daniel Jimenez, LF; Alberto Mineo, DH; Edison Valerio, SS; Ricardo Paolini, 2B and Tom de Blok, P.
Samurai Japan went right to work in the bottom of the first inning scoring twice off Team Europe starter Tom de Blok. Yasutaka Shiomi led off with a single and advanced to third base on a double in the left-field corner by Kensuke Kondoh. RBI singles by Munetaka Murakami and Kotaro Kurebayashi produced two runs for the Japanese. A visit by Team Europe pitching coach Alessandro Maestri must have done the trick as Tom De Blok regained his composure when a soft groundout to first baseman Juremi Profar ended the inning and left runners stranded on the corners.
Team Europe tried to get something started in the top of the second inning with back-to-back singles by Juremi Profar and Daniel Jimenez. Then Alberto Mineo hit into a 4-6-3 double play and center fielder Yasutaka Shiomi chased down a long flyout by Edison Valerio, stifling any scoring threat.
Team Europe reliever Martin Schneider entered the contest in the bottom of the second inning for a quick 1-2-3 out sequence including one strikeout. Japan also went to the bullpen in the top of the third inning and summoned lefty Hiroya Miyagi to face left-handed hitter Ricardo Paolini, who grounded out back to the pitcher. Another groundout to short and a strikeout kept the Europeans off the bases.
Martin Schneider returned to pitch the bottom of the third inning but suffered an injury throwing off the rubber and had to be replaced by relief pitcher Dalton “Duke” von Schamann with one out. The German American right-hander and former minor leaguer got the job done with a strikeout of Kensuke Kondoh and groundout to end the inning.
Down 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning, the heart of Team Europe order needed to create some offense but came up empty. Slugger Alex Liddi grounded out sharply to short, Martin Cervenka struck out swinging, and Juremi Profar grounded softly to the pitcher.
Named after the late and great John Wayne, Dalton “Duke” von Schamann showed grit on the hill in the bottom of the fourth inning with another strikeout before surrendering a bloop infield single nearly caught by third baseman Alex Liddi. The Team Europe defense came to the rescue as a fielder's choice by Juremi Profar followed by a groundout to Ricardo Paolini ended the inning.
It looked like Team Europe was positioned well to get on the board in the top of the fourth inning off Japan reliever Masato Morishita when Daniel Jimenez legged out a double. However, strikeouts of Alberto Mineo and Edison Valerio followed by a Ricardo Paolini flyout to center field left the runner in scoring position.
Dalton “Duke” von Schamann returned to pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning and recorded a quick strikeout before granting a walk to Yasutaka Shiomi, a single to Kaito Kozono and a two-run double to Kensuke Kondoh. With Japan leading 4-0 and a runner in scoring position, relief pitcher Daniel Alvarez came into the game. An intentional walk set up a 3-6-3 double play to stop the bleeding.
With two out in the top of the sixth inning, Japan relief pitcher Shunpeita Yamashita gave up a single to Alex Liddi before striking out Martin Cervenka to silence Team Europe.
The Japanese added one run to their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Daniel Alvarez returned to pitch and induced two consecutive groundouts. After granting a walk to catcher Shogo Sakakura and surrendering a single to Takaya Ishikawa, he was replaced by reliever Franklin Van Gurp. Then Misho Nishikawa connected with an RBI double down the left field line. An intentional walk loaded the bases for Shota Morishita, who grounded out to second baseman Ricardo Paolini.
Team Europe relief pitcher Franklin Van Gurp held Japan hitless in the bottom of the seventh inning with a little help from second baseman Ricardo Paolini, who robbed Samurai Japan of a single up the middle.
Japan went to the bullpen in the top of the eight inning and summoned lefty Haruka Nemoto, who gave up nothing more than a walk to pinch hitter Delano Selassa. In the bottom of the eighth inning with one out, Team Europe brought in reliever Luis Lugo who escaped danger despite back-to-back singles to Takaya Ishikawa and Misho Nishikawa.
Closer Ryoji Kuribayashi sealed the deal and secured the Samurai Japan 5-0 shutout over Team Europe in the top of the ninth inning.
BOX SCORE
by Roberto Angotti
(Photo of Team Europe infielder Alex Liddi against Samurai Japan in Global Baseball Games opener on March 6, 2024 by Dante Angotti)
