Ohtani, Japan Best USA 3-2 to Win 2023 World Baseball Classic

It was a winner takes all night at Loan Depot Park in Miami as Mike Trout, Trea Turner, and the United States took on Shohei Ohtani of team Japan.

Arizona Diamondbacks’ right-handed pitcher Merrill Kelly who got the ball for the U.S. against Shoto Imanaga, the left-handed pitcher from Japan.

The United States got off to an early lead, but two home runs by Japan were enough to give Japan the momentum most of the night as the United States’ bats went quiet on Tuesday as Japan went on to defeat the United States 3-2 to end the USA’s reign and claim the title of 2023 World Baseball Classic Champions.

The game ended with Ohtani, closing the championship out for Samurai Japan, facing Mike Trout, his Angels teammate. In what is an instant classic baseball history moment, Ohtani struck out Trout, who whiffed on a 3-2 slider, ending Team USA’s comeback hopes.

Trout vs Ohtani lived up to the HYPE! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/Z8aZAjpDRg

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 22, 2023

Team USA struck first and got on the board early in the top of the second off the bat of none other than the red hot Trea Turner of the Philadelphia Phillies. He hit a one-out solo home run to give the United States a 1-0 lead over Japan early. The U.S. kept the momentum rolling with a single by J.T. Realmuto to put a runner on with one out. Two batters later, with two outs, Tim Anderson singled to put two on. Imanaga then forced Betts to fly out to get out of the inning with just one run given up.

Japan immediately answered back in the bottom of the second. Munetaka Murakami led off with a solo home run to right center field to tie the game 1-1. It was his first at-bat after he won the game for Japan the previous night with a two-RBI double. Japan had momentum after that homer. Kazuma Okamoto then singled. Two batters later Sosuke Genda singled and Japan had two runners on with one out. Kelly, struggling, then walked Yuhei Nakamura to load the bases.

After a mound visit by pitching coach and former New York Yankee, Andy Pettite Kelly’s day was done. Pettite and the United States went to their bullpen. They brought in  to replace Kelly on the mound for the USA.

Former Met Aaron Loup came in and forced Lars Nootbaar to ground out, but a run scored to give Japan a 2-1 lead over the United States in the second. Kensuke Kondoh then flew out to end the inning and get the United States out of a jam.

Japan brought in Shosei Togo to replace Imanaga in the third, and he shut down the U.S.—a common theme over the next five frames. Kyle Freeland , on the other hand, came on in relief for USA. His one blip came when Okamoto led-off the fourth inning with a solo home run to left center field off Freeland to extend Japan’s lead over the United States to 3-1.

Along with Togo, Hiroto Takahashi, Taisei Ota, and Kiromi Itoh kept USA at bay in through the seventh, and Jason Adam and David Bednar, kept them in the game.

Things got interesting in the eighth when Japan brought Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres in to hold the tide. Nolan Arenado to open the inning, but then Kyle Schwarber clobbered a solo-home run to deep right center field on the 10th pitch of an at-bat to decrease Japan’s lead to 3-2 in the eighth and get momentum going for the USA.

Devin Williams kept the lead at one and send the game to the ninth when the dream scenario happened. With Japan leading 3-2, they went to their ace and the ace of all aces in the MLB to open the ninth inning in Miami as Ohtani came in to close out the championship for Japan.

Ohtani walked Jeff McNeil (his second walk of the game) to open the inning and put the tying run on for the United States, but Betts grounded into a double play.

Peppering 100 mph fastballs, Ohtani then faced his Angels teammate Mike Trout and struck him out, securing a WBC title.

It was one of the most-watched World Baseball Classics to date and a matchup many had been waiting for in the championship game. But it was Japan who came out on top 3-2 to be named the 2023 World Baseball Classic Champions.

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