Japan never led in its 6-5 win over Mexico in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic until the final play, which was an incredible walk-off hit. And the Japanese call of Munetaka Murakami’s walk-off 2-run double to win the game was every bit as fantastic as you would expect.
Japan trailed 3-0 until the bottom of the 7th of their semifinal game at loanDepot Park in Miami, when Masataka Yoshida hit a tying 3-run home run. Then in the top of the eighth, Mexico added two more runs to go back up 5-3. Japan added a run in the bottom half by playing small ball, and entered the ninth down by a run.
Shohei Ohtani led off with a double to the right-center gap. Yoshida walked on five pitches. And that brought up Murakami, who was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the game.
But Murakami came through by belting a ball off the wall in center to win the game 6-5.
Here was the call from FOX announcers Joe Davis and John Smoltz:
MUNETAKA MURAKAMI WINS IT FOR TEAM JAPAN!!! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/LNROmpkkes
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 21, 2023
And here is the great call from the Japanese announcers:
The Japanese call of the walkoff is just as electric as you'd expect pic.twitter.com/PIIAtpFFx3
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 21, 2023
That was outstanding.
Now Japan will face the U.S. on Tuesday in a dream final game. The U.S. is looking to repeat as champions after winning in 2017. If they win, they will have tied Japan for the most World Baseball Classic championships. Japan is looking to win their third WBC.
