Japan defeats Italy to return to World Baseball Classic semifinals

Baseball

Published 16.03.2023

TOKYO — Japan supervisor Kideki Kuriyama nonetheless will get a particular tingle watching Shohei Ohtani. It’s been that approach since Kuriyama managed the two-way star with the Hokkaido Ham-Fighters.

“When we see Shohei playing, not only the players but also the Japanese baseball fans, all the nation is feeling something extra,” Kuriyama mentioned by a translator after Ohtani led Japan over Italy 9-3 on Thursday evening to place the Samurai Warriors of their fifth straight World Baseball Classis semifinal.

Ohtani pitched shutout ball into the fifth inning and sparked a four-run third with a bunt single.

“These kind of moments, this is how I feel the sense of Ohtani,” Kuriyama mentioned. “This is Shohei. This is Shohei. When he performs a must-win sport like tonight, we see who Shohei is.”

Boston’s Masataka Yoshida homered and drove within the go-ahead run with a grounder, giving him a tournament-leading 10 RBIs. Kazuma Okamoto hit a three-run homer for Japan, which has outscored opponents 47-11 in 5 video games and is batting .313.

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Japan travels to Miami for a semifinal on Monday in opposition to Puerto Rico or Mexico. Cuba performs the opposite semifinal in opposition to the United States or Venezuela.

Pitching earlier than an adoring crowd of 41,723 on the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani threw his quickest pitch since he joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, strlking out Vinnie Pasquantino on a 102 mph fastball within the second. That topped a 101.4 mph pitch that struck out Houston’s Kyle Tucker final Sept. 10.

Ohtani (2-0) allowed two runs and 4 hits in 4 2/3 innings with 5 strikeouts and a stroll and went 1 for 4 with a stroll on the plate. He is hitting .438 (7 for 16) with a house run, three doubles and eight RBIs together with a 2.08 ERA, 10 strikeouts and one stroll on the mound. Ohtani can be obtainable on 4 days’ relaxation to pitch in a doable remaining on Tuesday — 4 1/2 days, counting the time distinction.

Ohtani stretched his match scoreless streak to eight 2/3 innings earlier than the fifth, when Dominic Fletcher hit a tender bases-loaded single into proper with two outs on Ohtani’s 71st and remaining pitch — 9 wanting the restrict. Ohtani had hit Ben DeLuzio with a pitch with one out, allowed a single to David Fletcher, retired Sal Frelick on a flyout and hit Nicky Lopez with a pitch.

“In the fourth and fifth innings I struggled a bit, however till then I had good rhythm and I pitched properly, I feel,” Ohtani mentioned.

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Hiromi Itoh relieved and retired Miles Mastrobuoni on a flyout as Yoshida slammed into the left subject wall whereas making the catch.

Japan is the one nation to achieve the semifinals of all 5 WBCs, successful the primary two tournaments in 2006 and 2009. The Samurai Warriors have been knocked out by Puerto Rico in 2013 and the U.S. in 2017.

Italy, managed by Mike Piazza, superior previous the primary spherical for the primary time since 2013. Dominic Fletcher, an Arizona prospect, drove in all three of Italy’s runs and had the workforce’s first residence run of the match, a solo shot within the eighth off Yu Darvish.

“Against a very good team, you have to be exceptional,” Piazza mentioned. “And clearly tonight we weren’t, We didn’t throw the ball properly tonight. We wanted our pitchers to have an excellent sport.”

Italy pitchers walked eight.

“You’re not going to beat at team like Japan with eight walks,” Piazza mentioned.

Japan went forward in a four-run third.

Kensue Kondoh walked with one out in opposition to Tampa Bay minor leaguer Joe LaSorsa (0-1), and Ohtani bunted down the third bottom line for a single as LaSorsa threw wildly for an error that left runners on the corners. Yoshida’s groundout put Japan forward, Munetaka Murakami walked and Okamoto homered.

Murakami, a two-time Central League MVP, hit an RBI double within the fifth and Kazuma Okamoto adopted with a two-run double off Vinny Nittoli that opened a 7-2 lead.

Yoshida homered within the seventh in opposition to San Francisco prospect Joey Marciano and Sosuke Genda added an RBI single.