USA vs. Japan WBC Prediction
Tanner Roark’s first World Baseball Classic outing didn’t go particularly well. If Team USA wants to advance to the championship game, though, it needs the Washington righty to come up big tonight.
Manager Jim Leyland will tab the Illinois native to start the Americans’ semifinal matchup against Japan, with a 9 pm. ET first pitch at Dodger Stadium. Online sports book Bovada.lv likes the U.S. as a 1.5-run favorite. Conversely, the Japanese squad represents a +105 underdog.
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On March 11, Roark yielded three runs in 1 1/3 innings of a 7-5 loss to the Dominican Republic. In several hours, he’ll draw the unenviable task of trying to slow down Japan’s red-hot lineup. Hiroki Kokubo’s club has batted .319 and slugged .524 with a tournament-high 10 homers. Like Puerto Rico, star first baseman Sho Nakata (.294/.429/.882) & Co. can point to a perfect 6-0 record so far.
Kokubo also gets to lean on one of the Far East’s finest hurlers shortly. Yomiuri Giants ace Tomoyuki Sugano is ready to confront the United States’ .248-hitting attack. Christian Yelich leads the Americans with five runs scored, while Eric Hosmer and Brandon Crawford boast eight base knocks apiece. Yet renowned sluggers such as Nolan Arenado (.136/.208/.318) and Paul Goldschmidt (.077/.250/.077) continue to scuffle along.
Bet on This Evening’s WBC Action
Team USA would be wise to manufacture a few early runs vs. Sugano, because Japan’s relief corps features a dizzying number of individuals with unconventional deliveries. We’re quite mindful of the experience factor here, too, as Kokubo’s bunch won the event in 2006 and 2009. Count on a one-run thriller either way.
TUESDAY WBC FREE PICK: JAPAN +1.5