Japan beats MLB All-Stars 6-4 in exhibition game

NAHA, Japan (AP) Yuki Yanagita greeted Randy Choate with a two-run single in the eighth inning, and Japan beat the Major League Baseball All-Stars 6-4 Thursday in an exhibition game following their five-game postseason tour.

Japan won the series 3-2 and the teams split a pair exhibition games that preceded and followed.

With Japan ahead 3-2 Thursday, Nobuhiro Matsuda doubled off Jose Veras leading off the eighth, and Ginji Akaminai walked. After a pair of bunts, Choate relieved, Yanagita singled and Ryosuke Kikuchi tripled for a 6-2 lead.

Justin Morneau had an RBI single in the bottom half, and Alcides Escobar hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Shota Takada won by allowing one run - unearned - four hits and four walks in three innings, and Yuji Nishino pitched the ninth for the save. Loser Hector Santiago gave up two runs - one earned - and four hits in four innings.

Morneau's sacrifice fly put the MLB All-Stars ahead in the first, but Kenta Imamiya hit a tying single in the second, Tetsuto Yamada had a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fourth and Yoshihiro Maru tripled in a run off Tsuyoshi Wada in the fifth for a 3-1 lead.

Evan Longoria homered in the bottom half off Takahiro Matsuba.