Munetaka Murakami hit a two-run, walk-off double, lifting Japan to a 6-5 win over Mexico in a World Baseball Classic semifinal in Miami on Monday.
Japan, which received the primary two WBCs in 2006 and 2009 and reached the semifinals up to now two editions, will meet the United States for the championship on Tuesday in Miami.
The Japanese group by no means led within the sport till the game-ending run scored.
Mexico was up 5-4 getting into the underside of the ninth, and the Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani hit the primary pitch from the St. Louis Cardinals’ Giovanny Gallegos for a double. Masataka Yoshida of the Boston Red Sox adopted with a stroll, and Ukyo Shuto took over for Yoshida as a pinch runner.
Murakami, the MVP of Japan’s Central League every of the previous two years, then drilled a 1-1 pitch off the wall in right-center subject. Ohtani scored, with the speedy Shuto coming house simply, too, to spark a wild celebration.
Ohtani stated postgame via an interpreter, “I wish we could have scored more runs earlier to make it comfortable for the pitchers, but the pitchers came through and (I’m) glad we got this win.”
Asked if he can be accessible to pitch on Tuesday, Ohtani stated, “I’ll definitely be prepared whenever to pitch, but before that, I’m going to have to hit, so make sure I put some runs on the board before I get to pitch.”
Taisei Ota earned the win after throwing a scoreless high of the ninth.
Mexico jumped on high due to a three-run homer from the Milwaukee Brewers’ Luis Urias within the fourth inning. Japan tied the rating on a three-run shot from Yoshida within the seventh.
In the eighth, an RBI double from the Boston Red Sox’s Alex Verdugo and a run-scoring single from the Tampa Bay Rays’ Isaac Paredes put Mexico up 5-3. Japan halved the deficit on a sacrifice fly from Hotaka Yamakawa within the backside of the eighth.
Mexico starter Patrick Sandoval of the Angels threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings, hanging out six.
–Field Level Media