US beats Taiwan in Olympic baseball

BEIJING (AP) John Gall hit a go-ahead home run and Brandon Knight struck out five in 6 1-3 strong innings as the United States beat Taiwan 4-2 in Olympic baseball Tuesday.

Dexter Fowler, batting ninth, missed hitting for the cycle by a home run for the U.S., which has a 4-2 record in the preliminaries and has advanced to the medal round.

Fowler's sixth-inning double against Taiwan reliever Lee Chen-chang gave the Americans a two-run cushion.

"We always seem to make it a little too interesting," Knight said. "There's a little sense of relief (to be in the medal round). I'm not going to lie and say we didn't expect that. It was a goal."

Next up for the United States is a game Wednesday with medal favorite Japan in the final preliminary contest - Game No. 7 - before Friday's semifinals.

Manager Davey Johnson decided to go with Trevor Cahill on four days' rest Wednesday and save hard-throwing right-hander Stephen Strasburg to start Friday's semifinal against either Cuba or South Korea.

In the other night game Tuesday, designated hitter Tsuyoshi Nishioka hit a two-run homer and also singled in a run as Japan beat China 10-0 in seven innings.

Hideaki Wakui (2-0) struck out six and allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings for Japan (4-2). China fell to 1-5 in its first-ever Olympic tournament.

Earlier, Ko Young-min's two-run single in the fourth tied the game and Cuba also committed a costly two-run error that inning as South Korea rallied past the defending champion Cubans 7-4.

Ko also scored an insurance run on Lee Yong-kyu's RBI single in the sixth.

The teams will finish first and second - the order still to be determined - after the preliminary tournament is completed Wednesday.

South Korea is 6-0 and the only remaining undefeated club with one game left.

"This is unexpected and we are very fortunate," South Korea manager Kim Kyung-moon said. "Since we beat the U.S. in our opener, the good luck has stayed with us so far. I'm very satisfied with my players, their cooperation and the results."