Masahiro Tanaka threw two innings of one-run ball Thursday for two-time defending champion Japan against the San Francisco Giants in what appeared to be potential dress rehearsal for the World Baseball Classic final next Tuesday.
The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles ace started and earned the win in a 6-3 victory over the reigning World Series champion in one of two exhibitions Japan will play in Arizona before moving on to San Francisco for the WBC final round.
"You could say he's the natural choice to start in the final," Japan manager Koji Yamamoto said after the game. "Depending on the particular pitch he is throwing, I think he's in good form."