Japanese Team Wins Series Opener

Five pitchers combined on a two-hitter and Takahiro Ikeyama of the Yakult Swallows hit a two-run double in the third inning today as a Japanese all-star team beat a major-league all-star team, 4-1, in the opener of an eight-game goodwill series.

Barry Bonds of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit a bases-loaded single in the first off Hideo Nomo of the Kintetsu Buffaloes, the Japanese rookie of the year. Nomo had walked the bases loaded.

The Japanese went ahead with a three-run third against Montreal’s Oil Can Boyd. With runners on second and third and one out, Ikeyama doubled to left-center and scored on Tatsunori Hara’s single.

Akinobu Okada of the Hanshin Tigers added a sacrifice fly in the seventh off Seattle’s Randy Johnson.

Hiromi Makihara, the second of five pitchers, was the winner. He pitched two hitless innings. Masao Kida pitched the ninth for the save.

Boyd, Johnson and Rob Dibble of Cincinnati combined on a four-hitter. Boyd struck out six and allowed three hits in five innings, while Johnson struck out four in two innings and Dibble struck out two in the eighth.

Cecil Fielder, who returned to Japan as a hero after becoming the first major leaguer in 13 years to hit 50 homers, went 0 for 3, including two strikeouts. Fielder played for Hanshin in 1989.

Sandy Alomar Jr. of Cleveland was the only major-leaguer besides Bonds to get a hit.

The second game of the series will be played Saturday, also at the Tokyo Dome. Chuck Finley of the Angels is scheduled to start against Masaki Saito of the Yomiuri Giants.