The highly-anticipated clash between bitter rivals Japan and South Korea in the World Baseball Classic more than lived up to the expectations. The game had home runs, drama and a spectacular catch from an outfielder.
With Japan leading 8-6 in the top of the ninth inning, Team Korea and Tigers outfielder Jahmai Jones clobbered a towering shot to right center field. The long ball, which seemed to be heading for the high Tokyo Dome wall as an extra base hit, was spectacularly caught in the warning track by Japanese outfielder Ukyo Shuto.
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Shuto’s fadeaway layout preserved Japan’s lead in the pivotal moment and avoided any Korean runners in scoring position. The outfielder’s highlight reel moment has already garnered close to 2,000,000 views on X with close to 50,000 reactions.
Known for his proficiency on defense and blistering speed, Shuto claimed the Fielding Bible award in center field last season, five years after his first Fielding Bible Award as a utility man. In Japan, the award is given to the best defensive players in a certain position, similar to MLB’s Gold Glove.
Starring for the NPB’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Shuto can be remembered for his blinding speed on the basepaths in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. With Japan down 5-4 to Mexico, Munetaka Murakami hit a walkoff two-run single that propeled Japan to the final.
Shuto, who was in first base, reportedly reached speeds of 30.4 ft/second after going from first base to home plate in just 10.3 seconds.
As it can be seen, Shuto even slowed down a little as to not bump into Shohei Ohtani while the both of them hurriedly ran to home plate.
Japan fends off feisty Korea in World Baseball Classic showdown
There was no love lost between bitter rivals Japan and Korea during their World Baseball Classic match, Saturday morning. Known for the animosity since Ichiro’s era, the two sides produced a nail-biting game in front of more than 40,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome.
Japan starter and Angels ace Yusei Kikuchi got rocked early on after issuing hits to the first three Korean batters he faced. This paved the way for Korea captain and Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee to open the scoring with an RBI-single. Slugger Bo-Gyeong Moon then followed this up with a two-run double as the Koreans carried a 3-0 lead in the opening half inning.
Cubs infielder Seiya Suzuki pulled one back for the reigning champions with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first.
Japan captain Shohei Ohtani then followed it up by his second home run in as many games as the scored were tied. Suzuki then again clobbered a moonshot that gave Japan the lead, 4-3. Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida got in on the action with a home run of his own as the three stars capped off a comeback in the third inning.
Ohtani’s Dodger teammate and one of Korea’s anchors Hyeseong Kim opened his tally in this year’s World Baseball Classic with a two-run home run that tied the game. However, the Japanese artillery was far superior in the night as Yoshida’s two-run single in the seventh pushed the scoreline to 8-5.
With the game on the line in the ninth, Ukyo Shuto then made a spectacular catch in the warning track for Japan, denying Korea’s Jahmai Jones of an extra base hit.
The game would end at 8-5 as Japan claimed its second win of this year’s World Baseball Classic. Korea, meanwhile, has one win and one loss.
Edited by Daniel Santiago
