World Baseball Classic 2023

[FreoRicci]

Feel for Mexico. They didn’t deserve to lose

 

[FreoRicci]

Mexico v USA would’ve had so so much spice.
Surely USA V Japan final is live on ESPN.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Looking at the box score, Japan deserved to win. They had 10 hits to Mexico's nine and left 11 players on base, compared to Mexico's four left on base.

When Paredes hit a single to score Duran, and Meneses was thrown out at home, Mexico's win probability was 84.4%. When Kondoh was called out on strikes at the bottom of the ninth, Japan's win probability was down to 15.8%. It shot up to 43.8% when Ohtani doubled, then up to 50% when Yoshida walked.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

I'm not sure who the US has named as their starter for the final. I believe Yu Darvish will start for Japan (it was mentioned during the commentary of the Mexico @ Japan game).

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Japan viewers are lucky that Brian Taylor wasn't on the microphone. Or Martin Tyler, for that matter.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

 

[Dixie Flatline]

 

[Santana]

The Final shouldn't have been tomorrow. Will be hard for Japan to back up for a 1 off final

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Trea Turner homers for the fifth time in the WBC, to tie a longstanding record for most home runs by a single player in a single tournament. The USA lead 1-0 in the top of the second, with two men on first and second and two out. Imanaga has been hit around a bit.

In the office today, so I'm not watching it, but listening to the free radio call via the MLB website.

Betts flies out to end the inning.

Japan have Murakami, Okamoto and Yamada due up next, after Ohtani drew a walk in the first inning, but was left on base when Yoshida struck out.

The USA have started the Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly for the championship game.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Murakami launches Kelly into the upper deck at right centre field at Loan Depot Park and we're tied, 1-1 in the bottom of the second.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Trea's home run:

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Okamoto rips a line drive single into right field and Japan have had back to back hits off Kelly to open the bottom of the second.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Kelly walks Nakamura to load the bases and is relieved in favour of LHP Aaron Loup.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Loup gets Noot to ground out, but Okamoto scores from third and the Japanese take the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the second with two outs. The other two runners move up to second and third, with Kondoh up to face Loup.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Kondoh flies out to Trout in centre field and Loup strands two runners, albeit with Japan taking the lead on a weak groundout.

USA will send Trout, Goldschmidt and Arenado to the plate to open the third inning.

Japan relieves Imanaga with Shosei Togo, a RHP.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Trout flails at a nasty splitter in the dirt and is sent packing on the strikeout.

Yoshida catches a fly out from Goldy and the first two American batters have gone down without much of a whimper.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Togo walks Arenado on five pitches and Kyle Schwarber is up to face Togo.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Togo walks Schwarber, so the US now have two on, with two out, and Trea Turner up to bat. Oh boy.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Togo works his way out of the jam by getting Turner to swing over the top of a splitter in the dirt to strike out.

The US replace Loup with LHP Kyle Freeland to pitch in the bottom of the third, with Ohtani, Yoshida and Murakami due up.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

 

[basashi]

From now I will be watching to see when Murakami gets his mojo back

Is the mojo back now? Lets hope so

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Okamoto launches Freeland's second pitch of the bottom of the fourth into left centre field and extends Japan's lead to 3-1. Okamoto has five straight seasons in the NPB of 30+ homers in a season. Dude can mash.