In a scenario worthy of a great Japanese movie, phenom Shohei Ohtani and his teammates overthrew the defending champions Americans to win the World Baseball Classic final by a score of 3-2 on Tuesday night. at Miami.
Los Angeles Angels star Ohtani capped the win by striking out American teammate Mike Trout when used as a reliever to end the game.
“I’m just excited to face this formation, had indicated Ohtani, before the match. It’s a wonderful thing for Japanese baseball.”
With victory in hand and this historic end to the match, Ohtani could not have said it better.
For a third time
Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto hit the long ball for the Japanese, but it was the Japanese pitchers who led their country to the long-awaited victory. Using slingshots aplenty, Japan’s Gunners outmaneuvered powerful American hitters throughout the night. In order on the mound: Shota Imanaga, Shosei Togo, Hiroto Takahashi, Hiromi Itoh, Taisei Ota, Yu Darvish and… Ohtani
This is the third triumph in five editions of the tournament for Japan, after those of 2006 and 2009. Since then, the Dominican Republic had won in 2013, then the United States in the most recent competition which went up to 2017.
This final between the United States and Japan was the one many baseball fans around the world had been waiting for. They were tens and tens of millions of people watching the match on television, mainly in North America and Asia. The Japanese were to watch this game while having lunch for the most part.
In short, Japanese wisdom and strategy won out over American power. Hats off to Japanese manager Hideki Kuriyama!
Murakami makes a name for himself
Second batter in this game, Trout wanted to set the tone in the first inning, stretching a single in doubles. His teammates, however, were unable to push him to the pay plate.
After allowing Japan to win the day before against Mexico, Murakami tied the game 1-1 with a solo homer late in the second set. Color bearer of the Yakult Swallows, in Tokyo, Murakami is already a big star in Japan. The 23-year-old hit 56 homers in 141 games last season.
Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks was on the mound to start the game for the Americans. However, he had to be replaced by left-handed reliever Aaron Loup at the end of the second inning, when the cushions were all occupied with only one out on the clock. The Japanese took the opportunity to score a second point on an optional. In an inning and a third of work, Kelly therefore allowed two earned runs, three hits and two walks.
- As Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Tuesday, the World Baseball Classic will be back in three years, in 2026. The Canadian team is already guaranteed to participate by having finished among the top four teams in his group. Taiwan, China, Colombia and Nicaragua will have to go through the qualifications.
- Japan advanced to the final on Monday night following a spectacular 6-5 win over Mexico. Munetaka Murakami had then played the heroes, at the end of the ninth inning, with a hit allowing his teammates Shohei Ohtani and Ukyo Shuto to cross home plate to win. Ohtani had started this push himself with a double.
- Canada should not be ashamed of its performance at this World Classic, having accumulated two wins and two losses in Group C. Quebecers Édouard Julien, Otto Lopez and Abraham Toro as well as pitcher Phillippe Aumont largely contributed to these results obtained in Arizona, winning against Great Britain and Colombia, then losing to the United States and Mexico.