The 42-year-old lefty continues to impress for the high-flying Swallows.
The 31-year-old veteran tossed a no-hitter with only two walks issued.
Stellar pitching from starter Masato Morishita and relievers keep the Americans off the scoreboard
Ryoji Kuribayashi holds the U.S. in the 10th to pick up the win.
Japan will face the U.S. on Monday for a chance to reach the semifinals.
Sakamoto's sayonara single caps a dramatic comeback as the hosts win the first game of the baseball tournament.
As winter approaches, Japan's sports calendar includes two major achievements within the past several days. For starters, it surprised nobody that the Fukuoka SoftBank...