Baseball: US score dramatic victory over Japan

Sydney: Mike Neill belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning to lift the United States to a dramatic 4-2 victory over 1996 silver medallists Japan on Sunday in the longest Olympic baseball game ever played.

Neill's majestic blast over the wall in right followed a lead-off walk to Brad Wilkerson by Japan reliever Toshiya Sugiuchi and put an end to a three and one-half hour marathon that launched the tournament at Olympic Park.

"It's a great feeling. It was a great game," said outfielder Neill, who was mobbed by the entire US team after his thrilling, walk-off home run. "I'm glad I was able to end it. I was getting pretty tired out there."

Earlier, double Olympic champions Cuba crushed South Africa 16-0 in a game at Blacktown called after seven innings due to the mercy rule.

Starter Norge Luis Vera combined with relievers Jose Ariel Contreras and Maels Rodriguez to no-hit the overmatched South Africans as Cuba extended their unblemished record in Olympics competition to 19-0.

The US-Japan game featured a brilliant pitchers' duel between young Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka and US starter Ben Sheets.

The two strong-armed righthanders matched zeroes for six masterful innings, both hitting 95 miles per hour (152 kph) with their best fastballs.

The Americans scored two runs in the seventh inning off 20-year-old Matsuzaka, who had limited the US team to just four baserunners over the first six frames.

Mike Kinkade looked like he would be the US hero of the game after he muscled an inside fastball into left field to drive in John Cotton for the game's first run and then scored later in the inning in a daring dash for home.

Japan, however, answered with a run in the eighth and another run after two were out in the ninth -- courtesy of a throwing error by third baseman Kinkade -- to send the game into extra innings.

Matsuzaka was brilliant, tossing 10 innings for Japan before giving way to Sugiuchi. The lefthander held the Americans down for two innings but put himself in a corner by walking Wilkerson to open the unlucky 13th.

Sugiuchi then bounced a pitch past the catcher allowing Wilkerson to reach second.

That put Neill in the driver's seat.

"I was looking for a fastball to pull," said Neill, who was trying to at least move the runner to third. "And I got it."

Neill got all of it, and could not stop himself from admiring the towering hit that won the game between likely medals contenders.

Japanese manager Kozo Ohtagaki tried to stay positive. "We played a good defensive game. Of course we'd like to win, but we'll keep going."

US manager Tommy Lasorda congratulated Matsuzaka and Japan on their efforts.

"He pitched a tremendous baseball game," said Lasorda. "They played a great game. Somebody had to lose. They shouldn't feel bad. It was a great game."



(c) Reuters Limited.