Ohtani whiffs his Angels teammate on a full-count slider for the final out in a matchup so many wanted to see, giving Japan a 3-2 victory over the defending champs for its first WBC crown since 200…
AP Baseball Writer
MIAMI — Shohei Ohtani emerged from the bullpen and fanned Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out in a matchup the whole baseball world wanted to see, leading Japan over the defending champion United States, 3-2, Tuesday night for its first World Baseball Classic title since 2009. Ohtani, the two-way star who has captivated fans across two continents, beat out an infield single in the seventh inning as a designated hitter, then walked down the left field line to Japan’s bullpen to warm up for his third mound appearance of the tournament. He walked major league batting champion Jeff McNeil before getting Dodgers star Mookie Betts to ground into a double play.
Trout, the U.S. captain and a three-time American League MVP, then ended the game by striking out on a full-count slider. It was Ohtani’s 15th pitch, several of which topped 100 miles per hour. Ohtani, who was named the tournament MVP, batted .435 with one home run, four doubles, eight RBIs and 10 walks as Japan joined the Dominican Republic in 2013 to become the only unbeaten champions of baseball’s premier national team event. Ohtani was 2-0 with a save and a 1.86 ERA on the mound, striking out 11 in 9-2/3 innings.
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