Japan rips Taiwan 14-3 in World Baseball Classic

Tamura hit a 3-run home run in the first inning as Japan (2-0) advanced
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO -- Japan advanced to the second round of the inaugural World Baseball Classic with a 14-3 win over Taiwan on Saturday.
Ichiro Suzuki had a hit and scored a run, and Hitoshi Tamura hit a three-run homer in the first inning. Tamura, who had 31 home runs last season for the Yokohama BayStars, connected off Taiwan starter Hsu Chu-chien for his second homer of the series.
Japan's win before a crowd of 31,047 at Tokyo Dome also ensured that South Korea advanced to the next round of the 16-nation tournament.
Japan (2-0) took an 11-1 lead in the top of the fifth with six runs. Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Akinori Iwamura each drove in a pair of runs.
Taiwan (0-2) got a run in the bottom of the second when Japan starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was called for a balk with a runner on third.
South Korea 10, China 1
TOKYO -- Lee Seung-yeop homered twice, drove in five runs and finished with four hits to lead South Korea into the second round.
South Korea, which shut out Taiwan 2-0 Friday behind pitchers Jae-Weong Seo of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chan Ho Park of the San Diego Padres, improved to 2-0.
South Korea starter Son Min-han earned the win by giving up one hit in four scoreless innings.
China (0-2) got on the scoreboard with a homer by Yang Shuo in the top of the eighth.
Attendance for the game, which started at 11:00 a.m. local time, was 3,925.
South Korea and Japan will face each other today.
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