Ichiro helps Japan beat Giants in exhibition

Ichiro helps Japan beat Giants in exhibition

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

(03-11) 18:05 PDT Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP) --

Ichiro Suzuki singled during a four-run sixth inning to help Japan's World Baseball Classic team to a 6-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition game Wednesday.

With Japan trailing 4-2, Suzuki looped a single to right field to load the bases before Munenori Kawasaki doubled off Justin Miller to tie the game.

Norichika Aoki and pinch-hitter Kenji Johjima followed with RBI singles to give Japan a 6-4 lead.

Suzuki and Johjima are teammates with the Seattle Mariners but are playing this spring for Japan, which won the inaugural WBC in 2006.

NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings for the Giants before leaving after giving up two walks in the third. Lincecum gave up a single and three walks, striking out five in a 49-pitch outing.

Lincecum broke Suzuki's bat in the first inning, jamming him with a 1-0 fastball in the first meeting between the two stars. Suzuki grounded out to second base.

"I got one in there pretty good," Lincecum said. "I obviously knew about him, growing up in Seattle and following him. I just treated him the same as any other batter."

Suzuki walked in his other plate appearance against Lincecum in the third inning, later stealing second and third base before being stranded.

"I was curious as to how (Suzuki's) at-bats would go against Timmy. Any time you have a great pitcher and a great player, you look forward to the matchup. We did today," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said.

Edgar Renteria singled, homered and scored twice for the Giants. Pablo Sandoval had two hits and drove in a run.

The first three Giants to face Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka reached base as San Francisco took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Randy Winn walked and Renteria singled before Sandoval singled to center to drive in the first run. Travis Ishikawa hit a sacrifice fly two batters later.

Renteria homered in the third inning before Sandoval doubled and scored on a groundout by Aaron Rowand.

Ishikawa was hit by a pitch in the third inning by Tetsuya Utsumi, who then took his cap off and bowed toward Ishikawa in apology.

Japan begins WBC second-round play Sunday in San Diego. Japan will play the Chicago Cubs in a final tuneup in Arizona on Thursday.

"They play well fundamentally. They scrap. They are going to be tough in the WBC," Bochy said. "They play the game right."

Notes:@ Giants LHP Jonathan Sanchez gave up two hits in four shutout innings for Puerto Rico against the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday. Sanchez struck out four and walked one. ... The Giants will have the first of two scheduled off days this spring on Thursday. ... The Giants credentialed 113 members of the Japanese media for Wednesday's game. ... The Giants named Shun Kakazu as the team's coordinator of Japan operations. Kakazu, a 2004 Harvard graduate, had worked for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League since 2006. Former major league manager Bobby Valentine is the Marines manager.

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