TOKYO — Seiya Suzuki missed Japan’s 2023 World Baseball Basic title run with an indirect damage, with the workforce marking his absence by hanging his No. 51 jersey above the bench within the dugout.
In Japan’s 8-6 win in opposition to Korea on Saturday at Tokyo Dome, the Cubs outfielder confirmed what Samurai Japan was lacking in a recreation outlined by its Main League members.
Two innings later, Japan unleashed a homer barrage to take its first lead of the sport. One night time after he hit a grand slam and drove in 5 in a single inning, Ohtani went off once more. He tied the sport with a blast — telling his teammates to stay calm within the dugout and skipping the membership’s new “matcha whisking” celebration.
“I used to be making an attempt to ship a message to the dugout, saying, ‘Hey, settle down, Let’s go. The sport remains to be tied,’” Ohtani mentioned. “So, that is what it meant.”
“After we tied the rating, it helped him, so I used to be happy. Then Yusei advised me, ‘Thanks for tying the sport.’ The environment within the dugout was so nice,” Ohtani mentioned.
One batter later, Suzuki got here again as much as the dish. On the primary pitch he noticed, he deposited it into the seats for his second dwelling run of the sport. Masataka Yoshida then got here up and did the identical. It’s an offensive technique that supervisor Hirokazu Ibata is definitely relying on on this match.
“That is a part of our recreation plan. Not solely within the Tokyo pool, but additionally if we go to the Miami spherical, a lot of our scoring will probably be on dwelling runs,” Ibata mentioned. “I’m not going to vary the lineup due to that.”
“We gave up 4 dwelling runs by way of three innings, in order that’s one thing that is not anticipated from our recreation plan,” Korea supervisor Ji-Hyun Ryu deadpanned.
The rating remained the identical till the underside of the seventh, when Japan began to play some old-school small ball. Japan loaded the bases with the assistance of three walks — together with an intentional go to Ohtani — sandwiched round a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. Suzuki then broke the tie by — sorry, not hitting a house run — however by working one other stroll.
“He is so nice. His first jack and second jack, each of them have been very good,” Ohtani mentioned. “His swing mechanics are nice. Then he additionally took the stroll in his fourth at-bat. He is nice.”
Yoshida then lined a two-run single to middle subject to provide Japan a little bit additional respiratory room.
“That was big to provide us an insurance coverage run,” Ibata mentioned.
Whereas Korea was capable of scratch out yet another run within the contest, the sport went to Japan who at the moment are tied (2-0) atop the Pool C standings with Australia, which it’s going to face on Sunday (6 a.m. ET, FS1). Korea, now 1-1, will face Chinese language Taipei (1-2) on Saturday (10 p.m. ET, FS1) with an opportunity to remove Chinese language Taipei and provides itself an opportunity to advance with a recreation in opposition to Australia on Monday.
