![]() The 29-year-old left-hander and Shosei Togo pitched two innings each, Hiroto Takahashi, Hiromi Itoh and Taisei Ota got three outs each, with Ota escaping two-on, no-outs trouble by retiring Trout on a flyout and getting Paul Goldschmidt to ground into a double play. Japan was outhit 9-5 as Imanaga combined with six relievers to hold the US to 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position. Okamoto boosted the lead in the fourth when he sent a flat slider from Kyle Freeland over the wall in left-center. Lars Nootbaar, the first non-Japanese-born player to appear for the Samurai Warriors, followed with a run-scoring groundout off Aaron Loup for a 2-1 lead. Japan loaded the bases in the second on singles by Okamoto and Sosuke Genda, and a walk to Yuhei Nakamura. Murakami’s game-ending double lifted Japan over Mexico 6-5 in Monday night’s semifinal and his third-inning homer off Nick Martinez put Japan ahead in the 2021 gold medal game. Murakami drove it at 115.1 mph into the right-field upper deck, 432 feet away. Murakami, at 23 already a two-time Central League MVP, tied the score on the first pitch of the bottom half when Merrill Kelly (0-1) elevated a fastball. That lit up a sellout crowd of 36,098 - fans were given wristbands with colored lights that flickered. Turner put the US 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. Japan used top players in that tournament while the US sent released major leaguers and top prospects. It was the second straight major title for the Japanese, who beat the US 2-0 in Yokohama for the 2021 Olympic gold medal. ![]() Trea Turner put the US ahead in the second with his record-tying fifth home run of the tournament and Kyle Schwarber pulled the Americans within a run when he went deep in the eighth off Yu Darvish. Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto homered as Japan built a 3-2 lead. No other nation has won the title more than once. Japan went 7-0 and outscored opponents 56-18, reaching the final for the first time since winning the first two WBCs in 20. ![]() I think other guys will try it, but I don’t think they’re going to do it to his level.” “What he’s doing in the game is what probably 90 percent of the guys in that clubhouse did in Little League or in youth tournaments, and he’s able to pull it off on the biggest stages,” DeRosa said. 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. 435 with one homer, four doubles, eight RBIs and 10 walks as Japan joined the Dominican Republic in 2013 to become the only unbeaten champions of baseball’s premier national team tournament. ![]() He added: “But the baseball world won tonight.” I just wish it would have went different,” he said. It’s kind of how it was kind of scripted. “The whole world got to see Ohtani come in, big spot, battling. “I was hoping it was going to go our way with Mikey popping one against Ohtani,” he said. His only other save came in a Japan postseason playoff game in 2016. “I can’t even imagine being in that moment, the two best players on the planet locking horns as teammates in that spot.” “I saw him take a big deep breath to try and control his emotions,” Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said. That brought up Trout, the US captain and a three-time MVP. Ohtani beat out an infield single in the seventh inning as a designated hitter before walking down the left-field line to Japan’s bullpen to warm up for his third mound appearance of the tournament.Īfter walking big league batting champion Jeff McNeil to begin the ninth, Ohtani got Mookie Betts to ground into a double play. “Did you think it was going to end in any other way?” he said. I’ve been answering questions about it for the last month and a half,” Trout said. “I think every baseball fan wanted to see that. With the count full, Trout waved at a sharp slider to end the ninth inning. 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. I wanted to make my best pitch,” Ohtani said. “Whether I got him out or he got a hit off me, I didn’t want to make any regrets. He clutched the award against his chest, having clinched the trophy by striking out Trout. Ohtani, the two-way star who has captivated fans across two continents, was voted MVP of the WBC. “This is the best moment in my life,” Ohtani said through a translator. MIAMI: Shohei Ohtani emerged from the bullpen and fanned Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out in the matchup the whole baseball world wanted to see, leading Japan over the defending champion US 3-2 Tuesday night for their first World Baseball Classic title since 2009.
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