Shohei Ohtani stepped into the batter’s box Monday night for the most important at-bat of his baseball career since leaving his country to play in the major leagues and didn’t waste any time.
It was the ninth inning at LoanDepot Park. Japan, trailing by a run, was three outs from suffering a massive upset and disappointing elimination in the World Baseball Classic semifinals at the hands of Mexico.
Standing 60 feet, 6 inches away was St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Giovanny Gallegos, Mexico’s best reliever. The first pitch was an 88-mph changeup away, off the plate, surely a ball. It didn’t matter. Ohtani hooked the pitch into the right-center field gap, igniting Japan’s 6-5 comeback win with a double. He screamed to his dugout from second base. The momentum had shifted.
Masataka Yoshida followed with a walk before Munetaka Murakami, who entered the plate appearance with three strikeouts in his first four at-bats, smashed a 1-1 fastball to the wall in center field. Ohtani and pinch runner Ukyo Shuto raced around to score, giving Japan a thrilling victory to set up a final between two baseball powers.
Team USA, the defending tournament champion, awaits in the final Tuesday night.
The sudden result halted an unexpected run from Mexico led by its star left fielder.
Randy Arozarena emerged from Mexico’s dugout Monday with a sombrero on his head and cowboys boots on his feet. He went out to the television set down the right-field line where Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz took selfies with him. He then jogged to the other side and snuck up behind Pedro Martínez on live television.
From there, he ran out onto the field. It was time to shag batting practice balls — sombrero, boots, and all. The WBC had been Arozarena’s show. On Monday, against Japan, LoanDepot Park was the stage for 35,933 fans.
Arozarena, a Cuban native who became a Mexico citizen last year to play in this tournament, continued his starring role for his adopted country.
On Monday, he robbed a solo home run from Kazuma Okamoto in left field in the fifth inning. Two innings later, he clobbered a one-out double. He then scored the go-ahead run on Alex Verdugo’s double.
He delivered his signature celebration — a dramatic folding of his arms and a pose — at the left field wall when he committed his robbery and at second base when he doubled. He signed autographs in left field during pitching changes. He made it all look so effortless.
Mexico left fielder Randy Arozarena catches a ball hit by Japan’s Kensuke Kondoh during the fifth inning of a World Baseball Classic semifinal game on Monday in Miami.
(Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)
By the end of the night, he had tied the record for most doubles in a WBC with six. His seven extra-base hits are tied for second. He’s gone nine for 20 (.450) with nine RBIs and a 1.507 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in the tournament.
All eyes were initially on Japan starter Roki Sasaki. Considered by some evaluators as the best pitcher in the world not already in the major leagues, the 21-year-old Sasaki boasts an elite fastball and vast potential.
Last April, he threw a perfect game with 19 strikeouts in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league — considered the second-best league in the world. He followed it up with eight more perfect innings and 14 strikeouts before being pulled out of precaution.
He came as advertised early Monday. His first pitch was a 101-mph fastball to Arozarena. He put Arozarena away later in the at-bat with a 102-mph fastball right down the middle.
Sasaki maintained his velocity in triple digits, but he wasn’t untouchable. After consecutive two-out softly hit singles from Rowdy Tellez and Isaac Paredes, Luis Urías put Mexico on the board first with a three-run home run over the left field wall.
The blast gave Patrick Sandoval a cushion. The Angels left-hander had begun his night with two strikeouts. A third straight would not come easy — Ohtani was at the plate. Sandoval said the two Angels teammates briefly spoke on the field Sunday between their respective teams’ workouts. The impending matchup wasn’t discussed.
“It’s going to be fun to face him,” Sandoval said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
The first clash went to a full count before Sandoval struck the superstar out looking at a slider. Sandoval pounded his glove with excitement. He went on to hold Japan scoreless over 4 ⅓ innings. He struck out six, walked one, and threw 66 pitches.
Japan, however, evened the score in the seventh inning when Yoshida, who signed a $90 million contract with the Boston Red Sox over the offseason, hit a three-run home run off left-hander JoJo Romero down the right-field line.
Arozarena sparked the Mexico’s response in the eighth inning with a one-out double. Verdugo followed with his own double to give Mexico the lead. Three batters later, Paredes slipped a groundball through the left side to give Mexico a 5-3 edge.
But it wasn’t enough. All Ohtani needed was one pitch to change Japan’s fortunes.
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