Ohtani leads Japan over Italy 9-3
Star allows no runs; hit fuels big inning
TOKYO — Japan manager Kideki Kuriyama still gets a special tingle watching Shohei Ohtani. It’s been that way since Kuriyama managed the two-way star with the Hokkaido-nippon Ham Fighters.
“When we see Shohei playing, not only the players but also the Japanese baseball fans, all the nation is feeling something extra,” Kuriyama said through a translator after Ohtani led Japan over Italy 9-3 on Thursday night to put the Samurai Warriors in their fifth straight World Baseball Classic semifinal.
Ohtani pitched shutout ball into the fifth inning and sparked a four-run third with a bunt single.
“These kind of moments, this is how I feel the sense of Ohtani,” Kuriyama said. “This is Shohei. This is Shohei. When he plays a mustwin game like tonight, we see who Shohei is.”
Boston’s Masataka Yoshida homered and drove in the go-ahead run with a grounder, giving him a tournamentleading 10 RBIS. Kazuma Okamoto hit a three-run homer for Japan, which has outscored opponents 47-11 in five games and is batting .313.
Japan travels to Miami for a semifinal on Monday against Puerto Rico or Mexico. Cuba plays the other semifinal against the United States or Venezuela.
Pitching before an adoring crowd of 41,723 at the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani threw his fastest pitch since he joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, strlking out Vinnie Pasquantino on a 102 mph fastball in the second.
That topped a 101.4 mph pitch that struck out Houston’s Kyle Tucker last Sept. 10.
Ohtani (2-0) allowed two runs and four hits in 42⁄3
innings with five strikeouts and a walk and went 1-for-4 with a walk at the plate.
He is hitting .438 (7 for 16) with a home run, three doubles and eight RBIS along with a 2.08 ERA, 10 strikeouts and one walk on the mound.
Ohtani would be available on four days’ rest to pitch in a possible final on Tuesday (41⁄2 days away, counting the time difference).