Puerto Rico lost 11-1 to Japan on Thursday in the opening game of the super round at the U-23 Baseball World Cup, a game shortened to five innings by the knockout rule at the Estadio Nacional Soberanía in Managua, Nicaragua. Japan’s pitchers Manato Iida and Kenshi Iwamoto held Puerto Rico’s offense to five hits. The result put Japan at 2-1 in the tournament’s second stage and Puerto Rico at 1-2, with results from the first phase against the two other teams that advanced from the same group carried over.
Japan took the lead in the first inning on a two-run single by Yuta Maruki, added a run in the second and another in the third. Puerto Rico’s only run came in the fourth on a single by Javier Crespo that drove in Randal Díaz. Japan answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth and sealed the game with five runs in the fifth.
The game ended on a wild pitch by reliever Ramón Rodríguez that let Natsuki Fujiwara score the run that triggered the mercy rule. Jahir Pérez started for Puerto Rico and took the loss, allowing two runs and two hits without retiring a batter. Ibrahim González, Yandiel Reyes, Yaniel Heredia, Luisiel Rivera, Joan Román and Ramón Rodríguez also pitched in relief.
Puerto Rico plays Venezuela on Friday at 12:30 PM. Puerto Rico time at the same stadium.