Ohtani, Japan Top Team USA 3-2 to Win World Baseball Classic Title

 

As a baseball fan you simply couldn’t ask for anything more from the World Baseball Classic Final.

The two most dominant teams in the tournament, USA and Japan in a one run game in the 9th with the two best players on the planet, Japan’s Shohei Ohtani and USA’s Mike Trout facing one another for all the marbles.

In the end it was Ohtani – who served as Japan’s designated hitter all game and took the mound in the ninth inning – who prevailed as the Japanese superstar struck out his Los Angeles Angels teammate on a wicked 3-2 slider to end the game and give Japan it’s 3rd ever World Baseball Classic title.

Game Summary

Team USA opened the scoring in the top of the second when United States shortstop Trea Turner hammered a low inside fastball off Shota Imanaga to left field.  It was Turner’s fifth home run of the tournament.

In the bottom half of the inning  Munetaka Murakami delivered for his nation again, blasting a homerun to deep right field on the first pitch of the inning off of Merrill Kelly to tie the game up at 1-1. Kelly would surrender two straight singles and then walk the next batter, which loaded the bases. With one out in the inning, the United States brought in Aaron Loup for relief to face the top of the order. Lars Nootbaar grounded a ball to first and drove in a run for a fielder’s choice making a 2-1 ballgame. 

Two innings later, in the bottom of the fourth, Kazuma Okamota homered to left-center field for the eventual game-winning run. Then two innings later, Japan had an opportunity to strike oil. Bases loaded, up came Lars Nootbaar. With a 3-1 count, he popped up to end the inning and kept the United States within reach.

With one out in the top of the eighth inning, Kyle Schwarber does what he does best, blasts it to the stratosphere with a solo home run to put the United States back within one after an 11-pitch at bat against Yu Darvish on a splitter. 

Ohtani closed the game for Japan pitching a scoreless 9th. He walked the first batter but then got Mookie Betts to ground into a 4-6-3 double play before striking out Trout to end it.