World Baseball Classic champions Japan and pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka continued their mastery over Cuba with a 6-0 second-round win on Sunday while the United States avoided elimination by beating the Netherlands 9-3.

It was the fifth successive WBC victory, including a win over Cuba in the championship game of the 2006 tournament, for the Boston Red Sox pitcher, who held the Cubans scoreless through six innings, striking out eight and scattering five singles.

"I knew Cuba was a good team, but particularly there was nothing I was too worried about," Matsuzaka said at a news conference through a translator.

Third baseman Shuichi Murata drove in two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly for Japan while catcher Kenji Johjima and infielder Akinori Iwamura both had two hits.

Frederich Cepeda had two singles and a double for an otherwise listless Cuba, who went through most of their bullpen but could not stop Japan from pounding out 12 hits.

Japan jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the third on five singles and a wild pitch, driving hard-throwing Cuban starter Aroldis Chapman from the game.

"We were lucky to grab the early lead," Japan manager Tatsunori Hara told reporters. "It relaxed us and helped other parts of the game fall into place."

US still on tightrope

Japan now meets South Korea, which defeated Mexico 8-2 in the other pool game on Sunday with Lee Bum-ho, Kim Tae-kyun and Ko Young-min all homering for the Koreans.

The winner of that game can advance to the final round with another victory. Cuba will next meet Mexico in the round with a double elimination format.

The top two teams advance to the semifinals.

In Miami, Jimmy Rollins homered and drove in four runs, Adam Dunn also homered and Brian Roberts had three hits to pace the United States' win over the Netherlands.

Still one loss from elimination after a humiliating 11-1 thrashing by Puerto Rico on Saturday, the United States will play on Tuesday (7am, Wednesday, Beijing Time) against the loser of Monday's (8am Tuesday, BT) game between Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

"We didn't want to go home quite yet," US manager Davey Johnson said.

Both Puerto Rico and Venezuela own victories over the US collection of MLB stars in the tournament as the hosts avoided being dumped from the event in the second round for the second time in a row.

The upstart Dutch were finally eliminated after two upset wins over the Dominican Republic in the opening round.

(Reuters/AFP via China Daily March 17, 2009)