Ichiro, Uehara lead Japan past Mariners

03/08/2006
PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Japanese team for the World Baseball Classic might have been disappointed when it lost a game to Korea last week, but the club's first try against Major League competition had to provide some warmth on a chilly Wednesday night in the desert.
Starter Koji Uehara dominated the Seattle Mariners for five innings, Ichiro Suzuki burned his regular-season team with an RBI single, and a mixture of timely hitting and heady baserunning got Team Japan back in the win column with a 6-5 tally before 2,086 in Peoria Stadium.
"I'm really pleased with the way the team played," Japan manager Sadaharu Oh said through an interpreter. "I feel the skill is improving with the team. ... I was really impressed with the energy level my boys put out tonight."
Team Japan, already qualified for next week's second round of the Classic in Anaheim, will play Cactus League exhibitions on Thursday (against Texas) and Friday (against Milwaukee) before heading to Southern California.
"The Japanese have a good ballclub," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "It's obvious that they've been working at this a little bit longer than we have this spring."
That statement could have been reserved for Uehara alone.
The right-hander baffled a Mariners lineup with four projected Opening Day starters, giving up one hit in five innings and facing the minimum 15 hitters. He struck out six, including Seattle shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and designated hitter Carl Everett twice each.
Uehara retired seven straight hitters until Greg Dobbs lined a single to right field with one out in the third inning. But Uehara erased that threat by getting Oswaldo Navarro to hit into a routine 6-4-3 double play. Uehara then put down the next six hitters in order -- three via strikeout.
"I have no complaints about Uehara's pitching," Oh said. "I would say it's up there as one of his best performances that I've seen."
The Japanese hitters didn't need to do much, but they did enough in the second inning.
Mariners starter Travis Blackley, who had only pitched one inning -- in a "B" game last week -- of competitive baseball since late 2004 because of shoulder injuries, walked the first batter, then gave up two straight singles, including an RBI knock by Michihiro Ogasawara that gave Team Japan a 1-0 lead.
The Japanese team added a run two batters later when Munenori Kawasaki hit an RBI fielder's choice, and Ichiro struck next, lining an RBI single to left field to give Japan a 3-0 advantage.
Japan added a run in the fifth off Mariners righty Dave Burba when Kawasaki bunted for a single, stole second and scored on a Tsuyoshi Nishioka single.
The Mariners scored their first runs in the seventh inning. Betancourt stroked a leadoff triple off Naoyuki Shimizu and scored on Richie Sexson's fielder's choice. Everett followed with a double and scored on a Rob Johnson single, bringing the contest to 4-2.
Japan scored twice in the eighth, with Nishioka driving in a run with a fielder's choice and Nobuhiko Matsunaka doubling in another.
Seattle made a late charge in the ninth when Roberto Petagine hit a three-run blast, but the Mariners were unable to complete the comeback.
Ichiro went 2-for-4, notching his first two-hit game since joining Team Japan. He went 3-for-13 (.231) in Pool A play, hitting a single in each of the team's first three games.
He and Hargrove agreed that having Ichiro on the opposing team was a strange experience.
"It was a little weird," Ichiro said through an interpreter, "but I was happy to see everybody. I haven't seen them for many months, and there's new members [of the team]. I'm looking forward to the season."
And Hargrove is looking forward to a season with Ichiro back in right field and in the leadoff spot.
"It was odd seeing him on the other team," Hargrove said.
"I'd rather see him with us."

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/