Chris Oxspring outdueled Daisuke Matsuzaka as Australia dashed Japan's hopes of winning a first Olympic gold medal in baseball with a 1-0 victory in the semifinals of the Athens Games on Tuesday.
Shinya Miyamoto reacts after striking out in the eighth inning of Japan's semifinal against
Australia at the Olympic Baseball Center in Athens on Tuesday. Australia won 1-0 and will play in the gold-medal game.
Matsuzaka fanned all Australian starters in a 13-strikeout effort at Olympic Baseball Center, but the Seibu Lions right-hander allowed a decisive RBI single to Brendan Kingman in the sixth inning as Japan lost to Australia for the second time in seven days.
Meanwhile, Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho struck gold Monday as Japan took medals in all four weight categories in the inaugural Olympic women's wrestling event at the Athens Games, raising its overall gold total to 15, one short of its best-ever tally.