Japan clinched a record-extending third World Baseball Classic crown courtesy of a 3-2 victory over the USA in the final of the 2023 tournament in Miami.
Coming into the final as defending champions from the 2017 edition, the USA drew first blood in the second inning, with Trea Turner hitting a solo home run.
Munetaka Murakami hit a solo homer of his own to level the scores, before Kazuma Okamoto put Japan into the ascendancy off Lars Nootbaar's ground out.
During the bottom of the fourth inning, Japan established a healthy lead courtesy of Okamoto's solo home run, and Hideki Kuriyama's side kept the USA at bay in three subsequent scoreless innings.
Kyle Schwarber's solo homer in the top of the eighth inning gave the USA hope, but Japan soon called upon their designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who came face to face with Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout.
Leaving his domestic loyalties at the door, Ohtani struck out Trout to win the Championship for Japan, and the 28-year-old was named the WBC's Most Valuable Player in the process.
Ben Knapton
