Shohei Ohtani (29, LA Angels) was smart.
Ohtani played as a starting pitcher and third batter in the quarterfinals against Italy at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held at Tokyo Dome, Japan on the 16th, and led Japan to a 9-3 victory.
On this day, Ohtani let out a cheering sound every time he pitched on the mound. He threw with all his might. When he struck out Italian lead batter Vinny Pasquantino in the top of the second inning, his four-seam fastball speed reached a personal best of 164 km/h.
However, on this day, he recorded 4 hits and 2 runs in 4 and 2/3 innings,메이저놀이터 falling short of expectations as a pitcher. In the beginning of the 5th inning, leading 4-0, Dominic Fletcher was substituted with 2 RBIs in a timely hit with 2 hits and 2 balls hit by the body.
On this day, Japan failed to score in the 1st inning with no 1st and 2nd base, and in the 2nd inning with no 1st base.
It was Ohtani’s surprise bunt attempt that broke through the frustrating attack power head-on. After one out in the bottom of the third inning, Kensuke Kondo walked on base, and Ohtani attempted a surprise bunt on the first pitch. The Italian infield team operated a shift in preparation for left-handed hitter Ohtani, and noticed that the third base side was empty. Ohtani’s bunt went between the third baseman and the pitcher. Pitcher Joe Lasosa caught it in reverse and threw it to first base, but it was too late. To make matters worse, it led to a bad throw, and Kondo advanced to third base.
As a center hitter, he didn’t insist on a strong ball, but tried to bunt cleverly. It was a witty bunt attempt that changed the flow of the game at once.
Afterwards, Masataka Yoshida’s batted ball hit the opposing team who shifted, but third base runner Kondo stepped on the home run and took the lead. Then, Kazuma Okamoto’s left-running 3-run home run from 2nd, 1st and 2nd bases led to a 4-0 run, and he succeeded in overcoming the baseline.
At the end of the 5th inning, which was chased by 4-2, Ohtani got on base with a walk to the lead batter and laid the foundation for adding three runs. He chose well when searching for control of the opposing pitcher. It held up well and did not rush.
Ohtani had a batting average of 0.500 (6 hits in 12 at-bats) and 8 RBIs in the first round. In particular, he walked 7 times and had a high on-base percentage of 0.684. Even in a situation where the ball count is advantageous, he is not greedy and waits patiently if a good ball does not come in. He sometimes acted as a fixer. Depending on the situation, he responds smartly at the plate.
Ohtani recorded 1 hit, 1 walk and 2 runs in 4 at-bats that day.
With a 9-3 victory, Japan advanced to the semifinals for the 5th time in a row. Japan, which came to the top of the 2006 and 2009 tournaments, is challenging its third championship in its career. Ohtani’s existence is a great boost to the Japanese national team.