Storybook ending for the fifth World Baseball Classic. MLB superstars Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout teammates from the Los Angeles Angels face off in the championship game. Ohtani representing Japan and Trout representing the U.S. finally faced off in the last out of the game. And it was everything fans had hoped for with Ohtani striking out Trout with a fastball and slider sequence to win the game with a final score of 3-2.

“This is the best moment of my life,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. As expected he also took home the tournament’s MVP award for his all around contribution to the teams winning. 

Though named MVP he had his teammates along with him the whole time with their consistent hitting and shutout pitching. Japan took home their third WBC Championship and is the only country to have multiple wins since the tournament was started in 2006.

USA entered the game on a high after beating Cuba 14-2 two days prior. As Japan beat Mexico 6-5 in a nail biting game. 

Game Recap

The game started on a high note with the U.S. Homering at the top of the second then Japan answered back with a homer of their own along with a sacrifice fly making the score 2-1 Japan going into the third. 

At the end of the 4th inning Japan’s own Kazuma Okamoto homered as well, growing their lead 3-1. At the top of the eighth Japan’s pitcher Yu Darvish came into the game and gave up a homerun to Kyle Schwarber putting up another run for the U.S.

Ohtani then came in to end the game in the ninth. First giving up a walk and having to face Mookie Betts, two time silver slugger award winner, who he got to ground out into a double play. And the matchup was about to happen. Two superstars facing off in front of 4.5 million viewers was about to happen. As the crowd grew louder Ohtani started off the at-bat with 2 straight balls. He then came back with two, hundred mph pitches blowing them past trout. He then threw another ball clocked in at a hundred and two mph. Then the game winning pitch came in and Trout Swung and missed. As Ohtani threw his hat and glove and his teammates charged the field in celebration Japan had now won their third Classic.