Suzuki fuels Japan's win - Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Yoshiki Suzuki did just about everything right around the plate in Saturday's Little League World Series International title game.

He threw enough of his 91 pitches for strikes to earn a 5-2 victory over Mexicali, Baja Calif.

He also blocked it with perfect position, his left foot on the basepath, with his right foot behind him for support, to tag out Mexico's Jorge Jacobo on a critical infield dribbler in the fifth inning.

He also had one hit in three at-bats, and he scored an insurance run for himself in the fifth inning.

It all added up to put his Hamamatsu City, Japan, team into today's championship game against Huntington Beach, Calif., the seventh time in 11 years a Japanese team reached the final.

"I just want them all to try their best and they did a great job, more than I thought," Japan manager Atihiro Suzuki said through an interpreter. "We had little mistakes, but the game flowed well, so it turned out well."

Yoshiki Suzuki struck out Kenet Delgado on eight pitches to end the game and strand a runner on second, giving himself the complete game as well.

His only trouble came in the fourth inning when Alonso Garcia doubled and scored on an infield error and when Jacobo tripled home Carlos Arellano.

But Suzuki got himself out of the fifth-inning jam by tagging out Jacobo at home on a dribbler hit in front of the plate. It looked like a textbook fundamental tag, with Suzuki's left foot blocking the plate and his right foot in back for support.

Only Suzuki said that wasn't his plan.

"I didn't know the runner was running," Suzuki said through an interpreter. "I just happened to look, he was sliding and I went for the tag."

Suzuki also contributed offensively, singling and scoring when Asuya Otsuka singled to center in the fifth.

However, Mexico manager Francisco Picos said it was the two runs Japan scored in the fourth on top of two in the third that depressed his team, particularly after it stranded two runners in the first inning, blowing its best chance.

"They got a little desperate," Picos said through an interpreter. "Especially after they started scoring and we hadn't. I definitely think it affected them."

Japan scored in the third when Hiroyasu Sigiura doubled home Gaishi Iguchi and then scored on an infield error.

In the fifth, Kaito Suzuki singled home Otsuka and scored on Mitsuhiro Uchida's double.

Iguchi, Japan's normal shortstop, missed the first Mexico game with an injury but his team has won every game he's played here.

It all has Japan on the brink of a second straight LLWS title, as Edogawa Minami, of Tokyo, won last year. This is Hamamatsu City's first appearance. Atihiro Suzuki said neither he nor his kids had scouted the United States field, but that may not matter.

Picos thought Japan had Jacobo, his starting pitcher who took Saturday's loss, figured out ahead of time. But Suzuki said he thought Mexico would start Garcia, who instead relieved.

"After the game started we discussed Jacobo and we were able to adjust as a team together," Atihiro Suzuki said with a chuckle, appearing to take Picos' words as a compliment.

The Japanese manager comes off a little looser than some previous Japanese managers over the years. Sure, he stresses fundamentals over and over, and Suzuki's block of home is proof of the teaching, but it's not every year the Japanese manager says playing hard and having fun are more important than winning.

He's been seen laughing a bit on the field and usually during his postgame interviews, giving off the impression he's enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime ride every bit as most of his United States counterparts usually do.

He watched Edogawa Minami on TV with his players last year, and like them, he said he never believed he'd be here the following year.

This team is one win from something even more unbelievable.

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Japan and Mexico meet again - Williamsport Sun-Gazette

It may seem hard to believe, but the Little League World Series has not had a Mexican champion since 1997.

That was the year a team from Guadalupe took the title, defeating a Mission Viejo, Calif., team in the final.

The field expanded in 2001, and Little League gave the country its own region, just like it had with Canada. Canada always made some sense as its own region because of its proximity to the United States and number of kids who played the sport.

So did Mexico, which sent teams here 14 times from 1957-1998 under the old 8-team formats, with Monterrey teams winning in 1957 and 1958 with Angel Macias throwing the only perfect game in LLWS championship game history.

Japan also received its own region in 2007, as its teams have now qualified 22 times since 1962, with seven champions including last year's Edogawa Minami LL from Tokyo.

So if Seguro Social LL of Mexicali, Baja California can win two more games here, it could make some history for its home country. But first is a game today with Hamamatsu City, Japan, in the International title game. First pitch is set for noon at Lamade Stadium.

"I've always told the players they're warriors, and to win these kind of tournaments you have to face the best," said Mexico manager Francisco Picos through an interpreter. "You can't just face any lower level teams, it's the World Series. They're warriors, and they've done the best out there."

Mexico won its first three games here, opening with a 3-0 win over Kaohsiung, Taiwan, before beating Japan, 3-2, and then Maracay, Venezuela, 2-1 in the winner's bracket final. Those aren't any of the lopsided scores one often sees in the International bracket, but Taiwan, Japanese and Venezuelan teams often provide some of the strongest competition in this half of the field.

Pitching has led Mexico so far, starting with Jorge Jacobo throwing a two-hit, 12-strikeout performance against Taiwan. He figures to start today.

Alonso Garcia followed with one earned run and six strikeouts in a no-decision against Japan before Carlos Arellano picked up the win in relief. Arellano threw into the eighth inning against. Venezuela before Jacobo picked up that win in relief.

Mexico hasn't showcased the pitching depth other teams needed, such as Keystone in the United States bracket, but three wins over top teams allowed for Mexico to keep using its best throwers.

"I feel very calm about it," said Picos. "Jorge has done an impressive job for us, but I have a lot of pitching. Alonso threw an excellent game and in fact we have Bruno Ruiz as our fourth starter. The only one not eligible is Carlos because of the impressive job he just did."

Jacobo has also scored four of his team's eight runs and is hitting .400. Ulises Rodriguez leads the team in batting at .667, going 2-for-3. Kenet Delgado is 2-for-5, while Garcia is hitting .364.

Ruiz has the team's lone home run, which beat Venezuela in extra innings. He also knocked home Jacobo for the game-winning RBI vs. Japan. He has just two hits, but they've sure counted.

Japan had to work its way through consolations after the Mexico defeat last Monday. It opened with a 12-1 victory over Oranjestad, Aruba, and then rebounded from the loss to beat Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 13-5, Langley, B.C., 4-0, and then Venezuela, 9-6.

Japan actually trailed Dhahran after allowing four runs in the second inning, but an eight-run sixth inning put the game away.

"We've been really looking forward to the rematch, but we'll have to be ready," said Japan manager Atihiro Suzuki through an interpreter.

Yohsiki Suzuki has been Japan's top overall offensive player, with three home runs and 10 RBIs to go with a .429 batting average. His 10 RBIs led the tournament through Thursday's games.

Asuya Otsuka and Kaito Suzuki lead Japan with .500 batting averages. Kazuto Takakura and Sotaro Yoshida have also homered for Japan.

Japan has plenty of pitching options after using 5 of them for short stints on Thursday. Yoshiki Suzuki, who took the loss to Mexico, would also be available to throw again, as is Ryota Matsushita, who made his pitching debut in a win over Saudi Arabia, tossing 4 shutout innings.

This is Hamamatsu City's first LLWS. Seguro Social has been here in 2005 and 2007, though it failed to advance out of pool play either time. The last Mexico-Japan International final was in 2008, when a Matamoros team beat Tokyo, 5-4. But that Mtamoros team fell in the final, 12-3, to Waipahu, Hawaii.

"Both of these teams are good teams," said Venezuela manager Gustavo Narvaez through an interpreter. "Maybe they'll both have all their best pitchers. The first game was very, very, difficult for both and the team that makes less mistakes will win this."

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