Yokohama, Japan - The gold medal game to close out baseball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games featured Team USA looking for some redemption against the team that handed them their last loss, Team Japan.

The Americans faced a formidable team in Japan, but also faced a result worse than their first meeting, getting shutout 2-0 on Saturday. Earlier in the week, the US gave up a three-run lead in their first meeting, eventually falling to the Japanese 7-6.

This one was a more hard-fought affair, suited for a pitcher’s duel that was low-scoring in nature.

US pitcher Nick Martinez (31), a former MLB player who is now currently pitching in Japan, threw six innings and only allowed one run from a solo homer by Munetaka Murakami.

Masato Morishita was Japan’s star pitcher, keeping the US off the scoreboard in five innings, only allowing three hits, but striking out five batters.

There was a late-game rush in the seventh by Team USA, as they had a man on third base, threatening to tie the game. But Eddy Alvarez, the third American to earn a medal in both the Winter and Summer games (a silver in speed skating during the 2014 Sochi Games), grounded out to first to end the inning. Martinez didn’t make it to the eighth inning when Japan got another run to pad their lead.

With only a few chances left, the Americans just couldn’t cash in and stayed off the board for the entire game.

This was the host nation Japan’s first-ever Olympic gold in baseball, while the Americans’ silver medal is an improvement from the bronze they earned back in 2008.