TOKYO -- Shohei Ohtani pitched shutout ball into the fifth inning and sparked a four-run third with a bunt single, leading Japan over Italy 9-3 Thursday night and into its fifth straight World Baseball Classic semifinal.
Boston's Masataka Yoshida homered and drove in the go-ahead run with a grounder, giving him a tournament-leading 10 RBI. Kazuma Okamoto hit a three-run homer for Japan, which has outscored opponents 47-11 in five games.
Japan travels to Miami for a semifinal on Monday against Puerto Rico or Mexico. Cuba plays the other semifinal against the United States or Venezuela.