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 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. 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. Aust...
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