Japanese national team manager Senichi Hoshino promised Wednesday that his team's two exhibition games against Australia will be a battle, not a tuneup, before the Dec. 1-3 Asian-zone Beijing Olympic qualifiers.
"I don't think we should call this two-game series a tuneup. We are definitely in a battle mode. We'll play our baseball and win," said Hoshino prior to a practice at Yahoo Dome, where Japan plays its final games on Thursday and Friday before leaving for Taiwan the following day.
Japan lost to Australia 1-0 in the semifinals of the 2004 Athens Olympic baseball tournament and is 1-3 in their four meetings over the past three Olympics.
Hoshino said he will start Chunichi Dragons right-hander Kenshin Kawakami in Game 1. Left-hander Travis Blackley, who went 0-0 with a 7.27 ERA in two starts for the San Francisco Giants this past season, is scheduled to start for Australia.
"I expect him (Kawakami) to hold the Australians scoreless," Hoshino said.
"I'm sure he will live up to whatever role he takes (in Taiwan) — even as a middle reliever. We have a group of players who will do anything for the team." Hoshino also said Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters right-hander Yu Darvish, Japan's probable starter against its biggest rival South Korea on Dec. 2, will start Game 2.