LOS ANGELES — Before Japan can again crown itself the best baseball team in the world, it will have to defeat the country that created the game on its own turf.

Samurai Japan and the United States hit the ground running during their workouts at Dodger Stadium on Friday in preparation for the semifinal round of the World Baseball Classic.

Japan will face the U.S. in Sunday's semifinal, while South Korea and Venezuela open the round on Saturday.