Nomo, Japan Step Boldly Into Bigs Osaka Native Overpowers Giants Before Dodgers Fall 4-3 In 15

They rose as one from their seats, and with tears streaming down their faces, unfurled the Japanese flag in Section 12 at Candlestick Park, waving it proudly.

They erupted with cheers the moment Japanese pitcher Hideo Nomo emerged from the Los Angeles Dodgers dugout, and, as he slowly walked to the mound, they recognized the significance of every step.

“This is a very, very special day for our country,” said Iwama Mitsuko, who took her son out of school for the event. “I wanted my son to see this because young people see him as a symbol of excellence.

“I’m a Giant fan, and always will be a Giant fan, but like a lot of people here today, I’m a Nomo fan.

“And that makes me proud.”

Nomo, the first Japanese-born player to pitch in the major leagues in 30 years, had the folks dancing in the aisles in Section 12, and perhaps all of Japan.

He was brilliant in his major-league debut, pitching five shutout innings while yielding one hit and striking out seven. The most difficult aspect of Nomo’s day was waiting for the game to end, and after 5 hours, 16 minutes, the San Francisco Giants wound up with a zany, 4-3, 15-inning victory.

The start of the game was televised live in Japan at 4:30 Wednesday morning, but the plug was pulled after Nomo left the game. So viewers there never got the chance to see the Dodgers end their 25-inning scoreless streak with three runs in the top of the 15th.

Reggie Williams broke the tie with an RBI single, followed by Eric Karros’ two-run double. But the Giants rallied against Rob Murphy after Jeff Reed walked with two outs and Darren Lewis singled.

Robby Thompson met reliever Greg Hansell with a three-run homer to tie. Barry Bonds singled for only his second hit in 20 at-bats this season, then scored the winning run on Matt Williams’ double.

Nomo, surviving control problems in the first inning, completely overwhelmed the Giants. The only hit he gave up was a third-inning double by Thompson.

Nomo, stopping to shake hands with Japanese businessmen who cheered him as he walked through the hotel lobby at 9 Tuesday morning, was wildly cheered when he left the field. For a day, it didn’t matter to Giants fans that they were cheering a Dodger.

“I’ve been to a lot of games here,” Mitsuko said, “but I’ve never seen the crowd like this. For a moment, I thought I was at Dodger Stadium.”

Wearing a Dodgers cap and sitting in row 25 was Ii Ee. He was scheduled today to return to Osaka, Japan, from his Los Angeles business trip. Instead, he rerouted to San Francisco. Business at the Osaka Panasonic plant can wait.

“I wanted to see this game very bad,” Ee said. “This is a big day for all of us. I’m going to remember this day for as long as I live.

“My ticket, I’m going to take care of it very well.”

Nomo, who stayed crouched inside his locker stall, listening to his stereo before the game, realizes the burden he carries. If he fails, his country is humbled, wondering how long it will take before another dares to try. If he succeeds, his country is proud, with several others eager to try.

The pressure is enormous, Nomo acknowledged later, but it hardly mattered. This is a man who playfully mooned Japanese cameras Monday in the clubhouse and acted Tuesday as if he were playing catch in Osaka.

He opened the game by throwing two low fastballs, but three pitches later, Darren Lewis became his first major-league strikeout victim. He retired Thompson on an infield pop-up, but then consecutively walked Bonds, Williams and Glenallen Hill.

Pitching coach Dave Wallace quickly went to the mound and used the little Japanese he knows. “I told him to relax,” Wallace said, “or at least, that’s what I think I said.”

Nomo, battling Royce Clayton for eight pitches, struck him out on a forkball. The inning, after 32 pitches, was over. The fans in Section 12, ignoring their hostile surroundings, cheered wildly.

The rest was easy for Nomo. He faced only one batter more than the minimum and was never in trouble again. He threw 91 pitches, but considering that he routinely threw more than 140 pitches in Japan, he barely was winded.

“This was a very, very big start,” said Isao Shibata, former Japanese star center fielder who was here with a Japanese television network. “How he performs shows how far Japanese baseball has come. By him being successful, it will open the door to Japanese people.

“Who knows, maybe now there will be a second Nomo or a third Nomo.

“What a wonderful day.”