USA Vs. Japan in WBC

The USA is facing  Japan in a semi-final game in hopes to advance to the final game Monday night vs South Korea.

The USA has been decimated by injuries the latest being  left fielder Ryan Braun who will undergo an MRI for a strained side and pitcher Matt Lindstrom has also left with shoulder soreness.

All this, in addition to injuries to  Kevin Youkilis, Derek Lee, Chipper Jones and Dustin Pedroia, makes the USA roster a bit thin especially at first base where they will start Mark Derosa who only has a career 13 games there.

In another surprising roster decision Derek Jeter will start at short stop over Jimmy Rollins who is the better fielder, Rollins will DH.  

Daisuke Matsuzaka will be the starting pitcher for Japan and is 2-0 in this Years WBC pitching six scoreless innings against Cuba last Sunday.

Roy Oswalt is tonight’s starting pitcher for the U.S. He gave up three runs in 3 2/3 innings against Venezuela in his first WBC start and held the Netherlands scoreless for four innings in his other start.

My prediction Matsuzaka will be to much for the hobbled USA line-up, I've got Japan winning 6-4. The game is being televised on ESPN and starts at 8pm EST.

update:  Bottom of the forth 6-2  Japan. The scoring so far is as follows:

first inning:  Brian Roberts homers 1-0 USA

second inning: Kenji Johjima  sacrifice fly to  right A.Inaba scores  1-1 tie

third inning: David Wright Doubles to right center JimmyRollins scores  2-1 USA

fourth inning: Kosuke Fukudome reaches on an error and Ichiro scores, then, Johjima hits a sac-fly that scores Osawara. Then Akinori Iwamura doubles, scoring Fukudome from first base. Kawasaki hits a single, scoring Iwamura. Now it's 5-2 Japan and the USA bullpen starts to get ready.

Oswalt is comming out after allowing another hit scoreing Kawasaki. Its not pretty, Osawalt gave up 5 runs on 5 hits with one error this inning. Its 6-2 Japan. John Grabow in to close out the inning.

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