Japan¡¯s first club to participate in a Caribbean Series, Japan Breeze, was much more competitive in its second game on Sunday than its first on Saturday, a 12-1 loss to the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Republic in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. On Sunday, the Japanese team managed by former Major Leaguer and former NBP standout Alex Ram¨ªrez came up just short in a 3-2 loss to Indios de Mayag¨¹ez (Puerto Rico).

At 0-2, Japan Breeze will face a must-win situation in Monday¡¯s night game against Charros de Jalisco (Mexico) in the event¡¯s four-game, round robin elimination stage. With their win on Sunday, the Puerto Rican representative now has a 1-1 record and is very much alive, with its next game scheduled for Monday afternoon vs. Cardenales de Lara (Venezuela) at Mexicali¡¯s Nido de las ?guilas Stadium.

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Japan Breeze took a 1-0 lead in the third inning Sunday with an RBI single by Yuta Hamada off Mayag¨¹ez starter Luis Leroy Cruz. The Puerto Rico club, managed by former MLB infielder Wil Cordero, jumped ahead 2-1 in the fifth on a fielder¡¯s choice RBI by Mario Feliciano and a squeeze bunt single by Shed Long Jr. off Japan Breeze starter Isaki Ninomiya.

Japan Breeze put runners on second and third and one out in the seventh, but Puerto Rico reliever Jake McSteen struck out Kan Nakayauchi. One batter and one pitching change later, Ricardo Velez put an end to the threat by getting Hamada to fly out to center.

After an Anthony Garc¨ªa sacrifice fly increased Mayag¨¹ez¡¯s lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Japan Breeze made it a one-run game in the eighth with a Munenori Kawasaki RBI single.

The Japanese club then loaded the bases with two outs, but former MLB pitcher Jos¨¦ de Le¨®n struck out Takeru Ohashi swinging with a 3-2 fastball to end the inning.

Japan Breeze outhit Mayag¨¹ez, 10-4, but was 2-14 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.

Cruz was the winning pitcher for Puerto Rico with five innings of five-hit, one-run ball. He struck out seven and walked two. Justin Yeager notched the save with a scoreless ninth.

For Japan Breeze, Ninomiya took the loss with two runs allowed in a 4 2/3-inning start.