Japan rallies late to beat Australia 4-3, cliches first place in group at World Baseball Classic

Defending champion Japan became the first nation to clinch a quarterfinal berth in the World Baseball Classic, then rallied on Masataka Yoshida's two-run homer in the seventh inning to beat Australia 4-3 on Sunday night in Tokyo and assure first place in its first-round group.

Japan clinched advancement earlier Sunday when South Korea lost to Taiwan 5-4 in 10 innings, also at the Tokyo Dome. Japan's win clinched first place in Group C for Shohei Ohtani and the Samurai Warriors (3-0).

After completing the group Tuesday with a game against the Czech Republic (0-3), Japan will travel to Miami for a quarterfinal on March 14. Australia can clinch a quarterfinal spot by beating South Korea (1-2) on Monday.

Japan starter Tomoyuki Sugano pitched four scoreless innings of four-hit ball, and Australia (2-1) went ahead with an unearned run in the sixth against winner Chihiro Sumida. Aaron Whitefield doubled, stole third and came home on catcher Kenya Wakatsuki's throwing error.

Japan had loaded the bases in the fourth when, with Ohtani at the plate, Shugo Maki was picked off second by catcher Robbie Perkins.

Ohtani walked on four pitches from loser Jon Kennedy leading off the seventh, one of 12 walks by Australia pitchers, and Yoshida pulled a low slider into the right-center field seats for a 2-1 lead. Yoshida has 19 RBIs in WBC play, third behind a pair of Cubans, Frederich Cepeda (23) and Alfredo Despaigne (21).

Teruaki Sato added an RBI in the eighth against Ky Hampton, who forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Seiya Suzuki for a 4-1 lead.

Alex Hall and Rixon Wingrove hit ninth-inning homers off Taisei Ota, who retired Robbie Perkins on a game-ending groundout for his second save.

At Miami, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Junior Caminero and Austin Wells homered as the Dominican Republic routed the Netherlands 12-1 in seven innings Sunday to remain unbeaten in Group D.

The game ended under the mercy rule when Soto's two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh gave the Dominican Republic a double-digit advantage. It was the third game of the tournament that did not go nine innings; Japan beat Taiwan 13-0 and Taiwan routed the Czech Republic 14-0 in Group C.

The Dominican Republic has outscored its opponents 24-4 through two games at loanDepot Park.

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ketel Marte had three walks each for the Dominicans. Starter Luis Severino allowed one run and three hits while striking out five over four innings.

The Dominicans broke it open with a six-run fifth. Caminero hit a three-run homer and Wells added a two-run blast. Marte's sacrifice fly made it 10-1.

Caminero's second homer of the tournament had an exit velocity of 115.8 mph.

The Dominican Republic struck quickly with a two-run first against Arij Fransen, who took the loss. Guerrero hit an RBI single and Marte scored from third on a throwing error by shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

Didi Gregorius narrowed the deficit for the Netherlands (1-2) with his solo homer in the second before Guerrero's two-run drive in the third made it 4-1.

Ariel Martinez and Erisbel Arruebarrena homered in a four-run first inning, helping Cuba improve to 2-0 in Group A.

Yiddi Cappe added a big two-run triple in the sixth. Yoelkis Guibert had two of Cuba's eight hits, and Denny Larrondo pitched two innings for the win at Puerto Rico's Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

Cuba beat Panama 3-1 in its WBC opener on Friday. Next up is a showdown with Puerto Rico on Monday night.

Tito Polo drove in two runs for winless Colombia, which faces Panama on Monday. Gio Urshela had a run-scoring single.

Colombia is 2 for 28 with runners in scoring position over its three WBC games. It has left 29 runners on base.

Martinez hit a three-run shot to right on a 2-1 fastball from Luis Patiño. Roel Santos walked and Yoán Moncada was hit by a pitch before Martinez's opposite-field drive.

Arruebarrena made it 4-1 with a one-out solo shot, chasing Patiño.

Colombia trimmed Cuba's lead to 7-4 when Polo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh. But Luis Romero came in and retired pinch-hitter Daniel Vellojin on a bouncer back to the mound, ending the inning.

Cuba's Yoan López worked out of a jam in the eighth, and Raidel Martinez handled the ninth for his second save.

Kun-Yu Chiang bunted home Chieh-Hsien Chen with the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th for Taiwan, which completed group play at 2-2.

South Korea's Ju Won Kim was thrown out at the plate in the bottom half on Hyeseong Kim's grounder, with first baseman Nien-Ting Wu throwing to catcher Shao-Hung Chiang. Jyun-Yue Tseng retired Do Yeong Kim on a flyout for the save.

Yu Chang and Tsung-Che Chen had solo homers for Taiwan and Stuart Fairchild hit a two-run drive for a 4-3 lead in the eighth, his second home run of the tournament after a grand slam against the Czech Republic,

"That was one of the most fun games I've ever played in my life," said Fairchild, an outfielder in the Cleveland organization whose mother is from Taiwan.

Do Yeong Kim hit an RBI double in the bottom half that drove in Hyeseong Kim.

Winner Yi Chang got the final out of the ninth. Woo-Suk-Go took the loss.