The MLB All-Stars looked as though they just wanted to get this series over with as they crashed to a third defeat in a row against the Samurai Japan. A pitching shutout sparked the 4-0 rout for the hosts in the Tokyo dome.
The most impressive pitcher was undoubtedly Takahiro Norimoto. He didn't allow himself to be even remotely intimidated by his more illustrious opponents.
Norimoto's numbers from the mound were spectacular, per the MLB official Twitter account:
Norimoto was part of a quartet of Samurai pitchers who no-hit the All-Star side:
He sent six All-Stars batters back to the bench with strikeouts. Had he not been pulled early, Norimoto's numbers would have been even more eye-popping:
Ultimately, Japan would strike out 13 big leaguers in the game, continuing the All-Stars' offensive woes in the series.
Augmenting the excellent work from the mound, the Samurai received able batting work from the likes of Sho Nakata. He swung smartly from the plate to earn runs at key times, including a two-run homer.
Hayato Sakamoto hit a two-run homer to account for the rest of the scoring. Both of those home runs came off the pitches of Kansas City Royals ace Jeremy Guthrie. If only the All-Stars had the likes of Norimoto launching pitches, things might have turned out differently.
Instead, the frustration simply continued to build for the men from the Majors. It wasn't just Norimoto causing bats to be flung to the dirt in disgust, relief pitcher Yuki Nishi was also a thorn in the All-Stars' side.
The right-hander sent four back to the dugout without a run. But it wasn't just stingy pitching that kept the All-Stars in check.
The Samurai's fielding was expert. Every infielder was quick off the mark and made the right decisions with no wasted motion, to ensure the All-Stars remained scoreless:
Little respite appears in store for the All-Stars unless the MLB regulars can solve their problems with the bat. If not, then a series already dominated by Japan's national team will become an embarrassment for the men from the big leagues.
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