TOKYO — There’s still a special tingle in watching Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama Shohei Ohtani, Kuriyama has since managed the Two-Way Star with the Hokkaido Ham-Fighters.
“When we see Shohei play, not only the players but also the Japanese baseball fans, the whole country is feeling something extra,” Kuriyama said through a translator Thursday night after Ohtani led Japan to a 9-0 win over Italy. Defeated by 3 and gave victory to Samurai Warriors. His fifth straight World Baseball Class semifinal.
Ohtani threw a shutout ball in the fifth inning and drove in a four-run third with a bunt single.
Kuriyama said, “Moments like this, that’s how I feel about Ohtani.” “It’s Shohei. It’s Shohei. When he plays a winning game like tonight, we see who Shohei is.”
of Boston Masataka Yoshida homered and drove in the go-ahead run with a grounder, giving him the tournament-leading 10 RBIs. Kazuma Okamoto hit a three-run homer for Japan, which outscored its opponents 47–11 in five games and batted . 313.
Japan travels to Miami on Monday for a semi-final against Puerto Rico or Mexico. Cuba plays the other semi-final against the United States or Venezuela.
Pitching in front of a cheering crowd of 41,723 at the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani threw his fastest pitch since joining the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, striking out Vinnie Pasquantino in the second on a 102 mph fastball. He topped the 101.4 mph pitch that hit Houston Kyle Tucker Last September 10th.
Ohtani (2-0) allowed two runs and four hits with five strikeouts and one walk in 4 2/3 innings and went 1 for 4 with a walk at the plate. He is hitting .438 (7 for 16) with a home run, three doubles and eight RBI, along with a 2.08 ERA, 10 strikeouts and one walk on the mound. Ohtani will be available to pitch in Tuesday’s possible final on four days’ rest — 4 1/2 days counting the time difference.
Ohtani extended his tournament scoreless streak to 8 2/3 innings before the fifth, when Dominique Fletcher hit a soft bases-loaded single on Ohtani’s 71st and final pitch with two outs – nine short of the limit. ohtani killed ben deluzio with one out, one pitch allowed David FletcherRetired Sal Frelick on a flyout and hit nikki lopez with pitch.
Ohtani said, “I struggled a little bit in the fourth and fifth innings, but by then I had a good rhythm and pitched well, I think.”
Otani also mentioned his special relationship with Kuriyama, who encouraged him to continue as a two-way player.
“This is a special moment for me,” said Otani, referring to Kuriyama in the Japanese style of Kuriyama-san. “When I played for Kuriyama-san for Fighter, I learned a lot. Yes, he is someone who taught me how to play well.
Hiromi Itoh relieved and retired miles mastrobuoni On a flyout, Yoshida hit the left field wall while taking a catch.
Japan is the only country to have reached the semi-finals of all five WBC tournaments, winning the first two tournaments in 2006 and 2009. Samurai Warriors was rolled out to Puerto Rico in 2013 and the US in 2017.
Italy, managed by Mike Piazza, advanced beyond the first round for the first time since 2013. Arizona prospect Dominic Fletcher drove in all three of Italy’s runs and had the team’s first home run of the tournament, a solo shot off of the eighth. u darvish,
“Against a very good team, you have to be exceptional,” said Piazza. “And obviously we weren’t tonight, we didn’t throw the ball well tonight. We needed our pitchers to play very well.”
Italy’s pitchers walked eight.
Piazza said, “You’re not going to beat a team like Japan with eight moves.”
Japan finished third by four runs.
Kensue Kondoh walked with one out against Tampa Bay minor leaguer Joe La Sorsa (0-1), and Ohtani drove down the third base line for a single as La Sorsa threw wildly for an error that hit Joe Corners. But the runners were left out. Yoshida’s groundout put Japan ahead, Munetaka Murakami walked, and Okamoto homered.
Murakami, the two-time Central League MVP, hit an RBI double in the fifth and Kazuma Okamoto followed with a two-run double off Vinnie Nitoli Who had made a 7-2 lead.
Yoshida added an RBI single in the seventh against San Francisco prospect Joey Marciano and Sosuke Genda.
Japan beat Italy 9-3 in WBC semi-finals with Otani originally appeared NBCSports.com