Samurai Japan Advance to WBC Q’finals as Top Pool B Team

The Japan News

22:26 JST, March 12, 2023

Shohei Ohtani’s “big fly” led the way as Samurai Japan moved into the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals as the top team from Pool B with a 7-1 victory over Australia to wrap up group action at Tokyo Dome on Sunday.

Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto got the start for Japan, which swept its four games in pool play, and allowed just one hit and struck out eight over four innings.

Los Angeles Angels slugger Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run home run in the first inning and American-born Lars Nootbaar also contributed to earing the victory with an RBI single in the second inning.