Daily Briefing: USA baseball players get emotional

USA baseball emotional: Players cry after Japan win 6-3 to reach World Baseball Classic final

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

American players wept on the field at LoanDepot Park on Sunday night after Japan eliminated the United States 6-3 in the World Baseball Classic semifinal.

Japan scored 4 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to break open a 2-1 game, sending the defending champions home.

The defeat ended a 23-month reign for the U.S., who won their first WBC title in 2017 and repeated in 2023. Japan advances to face Mexico in Tuesday’s final, seeking a record third championship.

Third baseman Nolan Arenado wiped tears from his eyes as he left the batter’s box after striking out to end the game. Shortstop Trea Turner buried his face in his jersey on the dugout steps. Manager Mark DeRosa embraced slugger Pete Alonso for several seconds near the on-deck circle.

“These guys invested everything,” DeRosa told reporters in Miami. “They put the country first. It hurts.”

Japan took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on Kazuma Okamoto’s 2-run homer off Merrill Kelly. The United States halved the deficit in the seventh when Kyle Schwarber walked and scored on Will Smith’s double off Yu Darvish.

The decisive rally began when Shohei Ohtani chopped a lead-off single against reliever Aaron Loup. Masataka Yoshida followed with a line-drive single to right field. Okamoto then doubled home both runners for a 4-1 edge.

A bases-loaded walk to Lars Nootbaar pushed the lead to 5-1. Tetsuto Yamada added a sacrifice fly to make it 6-1 before the Americans recorded an out.

Turner’s 2-run homer in the ninth off closer Taisei Ota trimmed the deficit to 6-3. Smith followed with a single, bringing the potential tying run to the plate, but Ota struck out Alonso and got Arenado swinging to end the contest.

“We had our chances,” Turner said. “One inning got away from us. That’s baseball.”

The loss concluded a tournament in which the United States outscored opponents 37-17 across six games. They defeated Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Cuba to reach the semifinal.

Japan improved to 6-0 in the tournament, outscoring foes 48-19. Ohtani finished 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored and is batting .435. Darvish earned the win with 1 inning of relief, allowing 1 run while striking out 2.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred watched from the second row behind home plate. The 2026 edition will expand from 20 to 24 teams, MLB announced earlier this week.

Background

Japan won the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006 and defended the title in 2009. The United States broke through in 2017, beating Puerto Rico 8-0 in the final at Dodger Stadium. They repeated in 2023 by defeating Japan 2-0 in the championship game at LoanDepot Park.

The tournament, owned jointly by MLB and the players’ union, resumed this year after a six-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a labor dispute. A total of 20 nations competed across four first-round pools in Taiwan, Japan, Arizona and Florida.

What’s Next

Japan will face Mexico on Tuesday night for the championship. Mexico reached the final by defeating Puerto Rico 5-4 in Sunday’s first semifinal. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT.