Japan rallies past United States in 10 innings to reach Olympic baseball semifinals

relievers combined to give up five runs as the United States blew a three-run lead in a 7-6 loss to Japan on Monday night that pushed the Americans within a loss of Olympic elimination.

manager Mike Scioscia said.

designated hitter Tyler Austin, in his second season with Yokohama after four major league seasons.

"David's been searching for a couple things," Scioscia said.

Under tournament rules, extra innings start with runners on first and second, an even more extreme distortion than the Major League Baseball runner-on-second rule used since the start of the 2020 pandemic season.

To reach this weekend's final, it must prevail Wednesday when it plays the winner of Tuesday's elimination game between the Dominican Republic (1-2) and Israel (1-3), and then again Thursday against the Japan-South Korea loser.

Sakamoto tied it 3-3 in the fourth against Dickson with his second double, a drive off the 16-foot left field wall.

"Our destiny is still in our hands," Scioscia said, "so that's encouraging.".

Kim hit his second double of the game with two outs in the seventh against 42-year-old right-hander Shlomo Lipetz, who will return to his day job at New York's City Winery after the Olympics.

Israel (1-3) plays an elimination game Tuesday against the Dominican Republic (1-2)

Ji-hwan Oh hit a two-run homer in the second as South Korea took a 3-0 lead

South Korea broke open the game in the bottom half against Chicago Cubs minor leaguer Alex Katz, who was charged with six runs -- five earned -- in one-third of an inning