ANAHEIM -- It probably was more important than ever for Japan to get off to a good start Tuesday in its World Baseball Classic game against Mexico.
An early toe-stubbing could have further demoralized a team that already spent too many hours down in the dumps following a disputed loss to Team USA on Sunday.
Well, a splendid effort by right-handed starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, and a four-run fourth inning, provided just the tonic Japan needed to climb back into Classic semifinals picture as it notched a 6-1 victory before 16,591 at Angel Stadium.
Japan (1-1) now needs to beat Korea (2-0) on Wednesday night, and allow six runs or less, to assure itself a spot in the semifinals in San Diego on Saturday.
"I thought we had to score first to win this ballgame," Japan manager Sadaharu Oh said. "The first run was very, very important. We were longing for it, almost. We were yearning for it."
Oh said before the game that having Monday off was good for his demoralized team. It enabled the players to work out at nearby Cal-State Fullerton and refocus on the task at hand -- winning two games and hoping that would be enough to advance in the inaugural Classic.
After scoring threats in the second and third innings ended without any runs, Japan finally broke through in the fourth when the third time putting the first two batters on base became the charm.
Nobuhiko Matsunaka singled to left field and Akinori Iwamura worked Mexico right-hander Esteban Loaiza for a walk. The second sacrifice bunt in three innings advanced the runners into scoring position and first baseman Michihiro Ogasawara hit a looping line drive that cleared the outstretched glove of his Mexico counterpart, giving Japan a two-run lead.
"The pitch was probably a changeup," Ogasawara said. "We really wanted to score in (that) inning because we failed to score in the first two (chances). I gave all my heart out there at that at-bat. It felt good."
Catcher Tomoya Satozaki capped the four-run outburst with a towering, two-run home run to right-center.
"The pitch was either a slider or a cutter," he said. "I only tried to advance the runner as (Munemori) Kawasaki is swinging good. I tried to hit it to the opposite field and was able to do it well."
Matsuzaka was in control throughout his five-inning, 73-pitch outing, allowing just three Mexico batters to reach base. Only one of them advanced beyond first.
"My pitches were starting to come along as the innings went by," he said. "I was trying to be too accurate on corners at the beginning, but I started not to worry about it too much as my pitches were going really well.
"I am relieved that I gave up no runs because I really wanted to give up as few runs as possible for us to advance to the next round. Both offense and defense gave me a huge lift. I thank the position players."
The general feeling among the Japan players was to use Sunday\'s disheartening loss as a way of boosting overall team strength and unity.
"After the defeat to the United States the other day, we knew all we had to do was win, and that was all we thought about," Matsuzaka said. "I was ready to pitch, and therefore, pretty much relaxed and able to concentrate on the game. I was not convinced of the outcome (Sunday\'s loss), and therefore one day off helped very much.
"I was able to rejuvenate after one day and that helped very much. I knew that from now on we could not lose anymore."
Though the four-run outburst in the fourth inning gave Japan a comfortable cushion, Oh said he wasn\'t totally convinced of the outcome until his team added a fifth run in the fifth inning. And just for insurance purposes, Ichiro Suzuki drove in a run in the ninth inning.
Loaiza had an easy first inning, but staggered a little in the second and third innings when the first two batters in each inning reached base. A double play doused the second-inning threat and two infield outs following a sacrifice bunt in the third took care of Team Japan, adding to its frustrations.
But then came the fourth inning and Ogasawa\'s clutch hit to right field.
You could almost hear a huge sigh of relief come out of the first-base dugout.
There was a different sound coming out of the Mexico dugout, one of disappointment.
"I tried my best to win," said Loaiza, "but my pitching wasn\'t always in the strike zone. I never thought that would happen. And then the home run. It was one of those instances when the batter surprises the pitcher, and that\'s how they went ahead, 4-0."', tagline: 'Jim Street is a national reporter for MLB.com.', summary: null, article_photo: { caption: 'Akinori Otsuka celebrates after finishing off Japan\'s 6-1 win over Mexico Tuesday.', credit: 'Ted S. Warren/AP', path: '/images/2006/03/14/kv2GV62c.jpg' }, sub_headline: 'Team comes on strong after disputed loss to Team USA', alt_headline: 'Japan back on track, defeats Mexico', related_links: null, headline: 'Japan back on track, defeats Mexico' }