3-24-09, 9:34 am

HAVANA, Cuba, March 24 (acn) With a hard-fought 5-3 win against South Korea in 10 innings Monday night, Japan won their second straight World Baseball Classic and remained atop the international baseball world.

Ichiro Suzuki lined a two-out, two-strike single to center field off Chang Yong Lim to drive in two runs in the 10th and ignite a celebration from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to Tokyo.

“I believe that Ichiro’s hit is something I’ll never forget,” said Tatsunori Hara, the Japanese manager. “It’s an image that will forever be imprinted in my mind.”

The Japanese were one out from winning in the ninth, but Yu Darvish, a starter who was asked to close, could not stifle South Korea. Darvish walked two batters to put himself in a dicey position, then Bum Ho Lee lashed a two-out single to left to make it 3-3.

But, one inning later, Suzuki powered his team and pleased a baseball- obsessed country. Darvish was given a second opportunity to silence the South Koreans in the 10th and he produced a scoreless inning. Darvish ended the game with a strikeout and notched the win, but it was Suzuki who saved it. The South Koreans decided not to intentionally walk Suzuki, who batted with runners on second and third, and the decision doomed them.

Japanese starter Daitsuke Matsuzaka was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament like three years ago. On this occasion he finished with a 3-0 win-loss record and a 2.45 earned-run-average.

The third World Baseball Classic will take place in 2013.

From the Cuban News Agency