Japan Beats U.S. to Win World Baseball Classic

Before the game, Ohtani, the unanimous winner of the 2021 American League M.V.P. Award in M.L.B., addressed his teammates and told them to stop admiring the superstars on the other side.

“If you admire them, you can’t surpass them,” he said, according to reports. “We came here to surpass them, to reach the top. For one day, let’s throw away our admiration for them and just think about winning.”

The United States struck first against Japan in the second inning. Turner, the Philadelphia Phillies shortstop who powered the United States earlier in the tournament, smashed his fifth home run of the W.B.C. He clobbered a low fastball from Japan starting pitcher Shota Imanaga into the left field seats. The many United States fans in attendance and Turner beamed in the dugout afterward.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/21/sports/baseball/japan-usa-world-baseball-classic.html