Ichiro outshines fellow countrymen with walk-off home run

It was a game that probably generated more buzz across the Pacific than A-Rod's ill-advised tweet did over here earlier in the day. Overseas, it was being billed as the two best Japanese-born pitchers in MLB dueling each other for mound supremacy Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. But in the end, it was an old reliable outfielder who stole the spotlight from his countrymen.

Neither the New York Yankees' Hiroki Kuroda or the Texas Rangers' Yu Darvish owned each other last night— although they both pitched solid games. And when it was all said and done,  it was Ichiro Suzuki's walk-off solo home run that really reigned supreme.

Suzuki hit the game-winner off Rangers reliever Tanner Scheppers with two out in the ninth inning to give the Yankees a 4-3 victory in front of over 41,000 out in the Bronx.




It was only Ichiro's second walk-off homer in his illustrious career.  The other one coming Sept. 18, 2009 against the Yankees Mariano Rivera— who was the beneficiary of Ichiro's well-known but rarely used power. Mo picked up his first win of the season.

After the Yankees first walk-off this season, Ichiro was happy he and his fellow Japanese players didn't disappoint.

"I just gave it all I had," he said through an interpreter. "I can't say I was trying to end the game there, but I am happy how it ended up."