The fans waited as Nobuhiro Matsuda rounded the bases and exchanged high-fives with his teammates. They knew what was coming, and when Matsuda pumped his fist and let out a guttural yell, as is his custom after home runs, the Japanese fans packed in Tokyo Dome exploded with enough force to knock the roof off the Big Egg.
Matsuda hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo added a two-run shot in the seventh, and the Japanese put up enough runs to overcome a leaky bullpen and get their 2017 World Baseball Classic campaign off to a roaring start with an 11-6 victory over Cuba on Tuesday night.
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