Japan, which aims to win the Premier 12 title for the second time in a row, beat the U.S. to post its first Super Round (semi-finals). Japan continued its 25th consecutive win at international competitions.
Japan won the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 2024 Super Round match against the U.S. at Tokyo Dome on the 21st.
Japan, which passed the group league with all five rounds, also won the first Super Round match, winning six consecutive tournaments and 25 consecutive international competitions. On the other hand, the U.S., which advanced to the Super Round as the second-ranked in Group A, suffered a crushing defeat from the first round, dampening the mood.
In the beginning, the two teams were in a tight balance. American starter Rich Hill (one hit and five strikeouts in four innings) and Japanese starter Hiroto Takahashi (four innings, two hits, one walk and eight strikeouts) pitched all-out games through the fourth inning, leading to a tight 0-0 tie.
The balance collapsed in the fifth inning when the two teams started to deploy bullpen sessions side by side. In the top of the fifth inning, American leadoff hitter Colby Thomas hit a solo homer over the left fence off Chihiro Sumida, who took the mound following Takahashi. However, Japan also created a chance to garner first and second bases with one out against Darrell Thompson, who took the mound following Hill in the bottom of the fifth inning, before Sakakura Shogo hit a double that fell to the right field to tie the game 1-1.
Then, Jojono Gaito, who took the batter’s box with two outs and runners on the first and third bases, hit a two-run triple from Austin Vernon, the third pitcher of the United States, to make a 3-1 come-from-behind victory. 온라인바카라
Japan, which gained momentum, took the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning with no outs and runners on the first and second bases, by making a three-run homer over the right fence 6-1. In the bottom of the eighth inning, following Masayuki Guwahara’s one-run timely hit with two outs and a third base, Jojo hit another two-run homer over the right fence to seal the victory. Jojo became the first contributor to the victory by swinging a fire bat of three hits and seven RBIs from five times at bat, including two homers.
Japanese starting pitcher Takahashi was sluggish in the match against Korea by allowing seven hits and two runs in four innings, but made a strong impression on MLB officials as he pitched well in the match against the U.S., where Major League scouts were watching. MLB.COM said, “Scouts are moving to find Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It will be difficult to ignore him.” MLB Network John Morosi said on social media after the game, “Takahashi showed brilliant performance in front of scouts. He showed off his stuff in the Major League.”
