The Japanese national baseball team reached the semifinals at the World Baseball Classic (#WBC) 2023 by defeating Italy with a score of 8-2. A four-run rally in the third inning, fueled by Kazuma Okamoto’s home run, allowed Japan to take an early lead. Okamoto continued to stand out in the fifth inning with a two-run double, increasing his team’s lead. Japanese starter Shohei #Ohtani kept Italy in check for 4.2 innings, allowing just two runs and four hits while striking out five batters and walking one. After his departure, reliever Yu Darvish took over to close out the game for Japan. With this victory, Japan ensures its presence in the next round of the tournament, while Italy says goodbye to WBC 2023 with the satisfaction of having managed to advance for the first time in its history. Although Japan and the United States are considered the main favorites to win the title, Venezuela and Cuba have also shown solid performances in the initial phase and could surprise the competition. Japan’s next rival will come out of the match between Mexico and Puerto Rico.
JP2021.COM - Tokyo Olympics 2020.