The Japan national team did just enough to get a win on Friday night. It'll probably take a lot more to bring home the gold in Beijing.
"Hoshino Japan" was held in check before taking the lead in a four-run fifth as manager Senichi Hoshino's men defeated a select group of Pacific League stars 6-4 in front of 20,001 fans at Tokyo Dome.
Trailing 3-2, the national team led off the fifth with consecutive singles from Munenori Kawasaki, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Hiroyuki Nakajima and Norichika Aoki, the latter two of the run-scoring variety, off Fukuoka Softbank's Keisuke Katto to take a 4-3 advantage for the national side.