Ahead of the World Baseball Classic final, there is a lot you need to know

Shining a light on Japan at the World Baseball Classic: Hitting a heavy bomb in the eighth inning with a pair of stolen bases

The World Baseball Classic concludes when Team USA plays Japan in a championship game in what should be a great match-up.

Both teams have impressed throughout the tournament and deserve their place in the final – giving fans a brilliant climax to what has been an incredible tournament of baseball.

However, the semifinal was far more challenging for Japan. The team came up against a strong Mexico squad, which had already beaten Team USA in the groups, and Japan was down 5-4 heading into the ninth.

Angels star Ohtani led the inning off with a double, before Masataka Yoshida was walked to first. With runners on first and second, up stepped Munetaka Murakami.

The 23-year-old crushed a walk-off double to deep center field, allowing Ohtani and Yoshida to score and giving Japan the most dramatic of semifinal wins.

Kyle Schwarber got the Americans on the board in the eighth when he hit a two-run home run, but the U.S. lost in the bottom of the ninth.

The Philadelphia Phillies shortstop was the calmest man in the stadium and crushed a huge bomb to left-field to give Team USA the lead, with what he described as the “biggest hit” of his career.

Fans will be intrigued by the prospect of a US vs Japan final with ‘Shotime’ facing up against some of the biggest names in baseball – including his superstar teammate Trout.

The two-way star from Japan, Ohtani, was voted the most valuable player of the tournament. He put the trophy against his chest after he struck out Trout.

Trying to protect a razor-thin edge, with two outs and nobody on base, Ohtani flashed 100 mph heat in getting Trout to swing and miss at two fastballs. With the count full, Trout waved at a sharp slider to end the ninth inning.

Mark DeRosa said he watched him take a deep breath to control his emotions. “I can’t even imagine being in that moment, the two best players on the planet locking horns as teammates in that spot.”

“The whole world got to see Ohtani come in, big spot, battling. It was kind of scripted. He thought it would have gone differently.

Japan joined the Dominican Republic in winning the baseball’s premier national team tournament in 2013 and Ohtani hit one home run, four doubles, eight autographs and 10 walks. Ohtani, the 2021 AL MVP was 2-0 with a save and a 1.86 ERA on the mound, striking out 11 in 9 2/3 innings.

Most of the guys in the locker room have played in Little League or a youth tournament, and he has been able to pull it off on the biggest stages. “He is a unicorn to the sport. I think other guys will try, but I don’t think they will do it to his level.

Japanese top field success in the first four-run World Cup final (WBC 2006), and their comeback by Hiroto Takahashi and Hiromi Itoh

Japan went 7-0 and outscored opponents 56-18, reaching the final for the first time since winning the first two WBCs in 2006 and 2009. No other nation has won the title more than once.

The Japanese won the gold medal at the Olympics for the second year in a row. The U.S. sent released major leaguers and top prospects while Japan used top players in that tournament.

Turner put the U.S. ahead in the second inning with a drive to left against Shota Imanaga (1-0), tying South Korea’s Seung Yuop Lee in 2006 for the most in a WBC. That lit up a sellout crowd of 36,098 — fans were given wristbands with colored lights that flickered.

Merrill Kelly put the Rangers ahead on the first pitch of the bottom half, but it was only the first of many comebacks by Murakami. Murakami drove it at 115.1 mph into the right-field upper deck, 432 feet away.

The Japanese loaded the bases in the second with singles by Sosuke Genda, Yuhei Nakamura and two walks by Okamoto. Nootbaar, the first non-Japanese-born player to play for the Samurai Warriors, followed with a groundout, scoring a run and giving the team a lead.

Japan was outhit 9-5 as Imanaga combined with six relievers to hold the U.S. to 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position. In the top of the first, Shosei Togo and four others pitched two frames, with Hiroto Takahashi, Hiromi Itoh, and Taisei Ota each getting three outs.

After hugging behind the batting cage during the warm ups, and then holding their nation’s flag while leading their teams toward home plate in single file, Trout and Ohtani walked to the plate.

Several thousand fans showed up early to watch Ohtani take batting practice and hit a drive off the video board above the second deck in center.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/22/1165245446/shohei-ohtani-fans-his-angels-teammate-as-japan-tops-u-s-3-2-for-the-wbc-title

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