Japan retain baseball crown

Japan retained the World Baseball Classic title by beating bitter Asian rivals South Korea 5-3 in 10 innings at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday.

Ichiro Suzuki slashed a two-run single up the middle in the top of the 10th for his fourth hit of the game to lift Japan to victory over the Olympic champions and repeat their triumph from the inaugural tournament in 2006.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, who notched the victory in Japan's semi-final triumph over the United States, was named MVP of the Classic, repeating the same honour he claimed in 2006.