Shohei Ohtani led Japan to a wild 6-5 walk-off victory against Mexico in the semifinal game of the World Baseball Classic. Ohtani’s leadoff double sparked a two-run rally in the ninth inning, which included a tying three-run homer by Masataka Yoshida and a two-run double by Munetaka Murakami. Ohtani expressed his excitement about Japan reaching the championship game against Team USA, saying, “I’ll do all I can to get that first place.” Japan’s ace Roki Sasaki did not perform as expected, but Japan secured the win after a series of dramatic plays. In the fifth inning, Mexico leftfielder Randy Arozarena made a spectacular catch, but his delayed reaction caused confusion among the players and fans until he finally showed he had caught the ball.
Japan’s national baseball team advances to the World Baseball Classic final after a walk-off win against Mexico in a semifinal game at loanDepot Park. The game was ignited by Shohei Ohtani, who had a spectacular batting practice before the game, sending tape-measure blasts that nearly cleared the upper deck in right field. Ohtani’s leadoff double in the ninth inning sparked a two-run rally that gave Japan a wild 6-5 victory. After hitting the double, Ohtani showed an unusual show of emotion and flexed his arms, which inspired his team. Following his lead, Masataka Yoshida and Munetaka Murakami smacked a tying three-run homer and a two-run double, respectively, to set up Tuesday night’s championship showdown with Team USA. Ohtani said he was mentally prepared to take the ball if necessary for the title game, but he was not announced as Japan’s starting pitcher. Despite being a designated hitter, he acknowledged that closing the game remained a possibility. In the game against Mexico, Roki Sasaki, the Japanese ace who was proclaimed to be the next Shohei Ohtani, did not perform to the expected standard. Sasaki’s fastball averaged 99.9 mph and maxed out at 101.8. He hung a splitter with two outs in the fourth inning to Luis Arias, who hammered a three-run homer that kept Mexico in front until Yoshida’s tying blast in the seventh. Mexico regained the lead in the eighth but could not hold it, and Japan clinched the win in the ninth inning.
After Japan’s win against Mexico, Shohei Ohtani said in a statement that they will do everything to get first place. “Obviously, it’s a big accomplishment,” he said. “But there’s a huge difference between getting first and second. So I’ll do all I can to get that first place.” Meanwhile, in the fifth inning of the game, Mexico leftfielder Randy Arozarena deked the entire ballpark when he leaped to grab a roof-scraping blast off the bat of Kazuma Okamoto. As the puzzled Okamoto kept circling the bases, the Mexico fans on the other side of the fence went crazy until Arozarena finally showed he had caught the ball.
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