Munetaka Murakami’s deep double bounced off the wall and hit Shohei Ohtani ahead of second and runner-up Ukyo Shuto to win the World Baseball Classic semifinals against Mexico and send Japan into their third final.
Japan never led until the final goal of the game – having trailed 3-0 and then 5-3 against Mexico throughout the competition.
Mexico goalkeeper Giovanni Gallegos gave Ohtani a double and then went for Masataka Yoshida to set up Murkami’s game-winning goal. Shuto came in to run for Yoshida.
Japan, who won the first two WBCs in 2006 and 2009 and reached the semifinals in the last two editions, meet the United States for the championship on Tuesday in Miami.
Mexico led 5-4 to reach the end of the ninth round, and the Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani hit the first shot ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Giovanny Gallegos to score a double.
Munetaka Murakami’s two-run walk-off double sent Japan to the title win over the United States
Shohei Ohtani’s brace in game nine sparked a comeback for Japan, who beat Mexico
Japanese players flocked to the field – away for their third WBC championship game
The Boston Red Sox’s Masataka Yoshida followed with a walk, and Ukyo Shuto took over as pinch runner for Yoshida.
Murakami, the MVP of Japan’s Central League for the past two years, then drilled a 1-1 pitch off the right midfield wall. Ohtani scored, and fast Shuto also came home easily to spark a wild cheer.
Ohtani said through an interpreter after the game, “I wish we could have gotten more runs earlier to make the pitchers comfortable, but the pitchers came through and (I’m) glad we got that win.”
Taisei Ota claimed the win after throwing a scoreless top of the ninth.
Mexico took the lead thanks to a triple home run by Milwaukee Brewers’ Luis Urias in the fourth inning. Japan equalized in the seventh with a three-goal from Yoshida.
In game eight, an RBI double from the Boston Red Sox’s Alex Verdugo and a run-scoring single from the Tampa Bay Rays’ Isaac Paredes gave Mexico a 5-3 lead. Japan halved the deficit with a sacrificial fly from Hotaka Yamakawa in the round of 16.
Angels’ Mexican starter Patrick Sandoval threw 4 1/3 innings scoreless and batted six.
The Boston Red Sox’s Masataka Yoshida hit a triple home run from a 3-0 deficit
The shot scored Ohtani and Kensuke Kondo to level the game at 3-3 by the end of the seventh
But Mexico went 5-3 up as RBI hits from Alex Verdugo (above) and Isaac Paredes landed in eighth place
Mexico’s pitchers kept Japan at bay in the eighth inning but failed to hold on in the ninth.
It was Munetaka Murakami who met Ohtani and Shuto to win the game for Japan
Japan now meets the United States in the championship match at LoanDepot Park in Miami
“Crazy game, man. Crazy Emotions. But it’s good to be at the top,” said Japan’s Lars Nootbaar to Fox after the end of the game.
When asked about the emotions in the dugout after Yoshida’s triple home run to tie it 3-3 at the end of game seven, Nootbaar said the team was just trying to keep a cool head and stay focused.
“Yoshida has grown so big for us all tournament and we got guys all game, we just didn’t cash it.
“So, I think as a group we kind of had the confidence that we were going to knock someone over, it’s just a matter of when… It’s kind of like the group mentality, just never give up. We play for our country in the WBC, it’s incredible.”
After Japan’s goal and celebration, Ohtani spoke to Fox’s Ken Rosenthal and described how the team felt and what was going through his mind at the end of the ninth round.
“Murakami was … he had a little slump, but he … came in crunch time when he wanted to get through,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I left the inning, he threw it through the hitting zone, I just wanted to get a good swing at it. I got a decent first throw, it was right over the zone, right over the plate, I got a good swing on it.
Ohtani and Japan now face Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout and Team USA in the WBC Championship game. Two-way Ohtani told Rosenthal that he would be available for pitches but that he wants to take a few cracks on the plate first.
“I’ll definitely be prepared to pitch wherever, but before that I need to hit and make sure I put some runs on the board before pitching,” he said in Japanese.
“Crazy game, man. Crazy Emotions. But it’s good to be up there.”
Lars Nootbaar joins the set to recap Japan’s insane walk-off winner 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/w2msVVJuJ6
– FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 21, 2023
“I’ll definitely be ready to pitch anywhere, but before that I need to hit and make sure I put some runs on the board before pitching.”
Shohei Ohtani spoke @Ken_Rosenthal after Japan’s WILD walk-off winner 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/TFeGJCDqhO
– FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 21, 2023