Cleveland Sports Forum

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Japan cruises to perfect Pool B record; Australia controls own fate

Michael Clair

March 12, 2023 8:30 AM CDT

TOKYO --

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has won back-to-back Sawamura Awards – the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young. Most fans in Japan assume a trip to the Majors awaits in his future. He wears No. 18, the number usually reserved for the staff ace in Japan.

And yet, on this incredibly deep, extremely dominant, seemingly unstoppable Japan roster, he’s the No. 4 starter -- getting the start in Team Japan’s 7-1 victory over Australia on Sunday night.

Yes, that’s just how loaded Team Japan is.

The game -- with the winner of Pool B on the line -- was over almost before it began. Shohei Ohtani got the scoring started with an absolute moonshot to right field that nearly smacked his own billboard square in the face to drive in three. Lars Nootbaar and Kensuke Kendoh added RBIs in the second inning and Japan didn’t look back. It was the fourth consecutive game in which Japan’s bats made plenty of noise, as it finished the first round by defeating its opponents by a combined score of 35-8. (If there’s some consolation for Australia, it’s this: It held Japan to its fewest runs in the first round.)

With Japan holding a commanding lead, Yamamoto got to work. He struck out eight batters over four innings and allowed only one base hit. It was the kind of performance the 40,000 screaming, chanting, singing fans seemingly willed into existence from the 24-year-old.




With a perfect 4-0 run through the first round, Japan will now wait to see which team from Pool A it will play on March 16. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinals in Miami.

Australia’s game against the Czech Republic now takes on increased importance on Monday. The team still controls its own destiny -- a win and it advances to the second-round for its first time in World Baseball Classic history. However, a loss and they would be tied with the Czech Republic. Should Korea defeat China, as well, the tiebreaker rules would then be in effect to determine which country advances and which nations must wait for 2026.

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The World Baseball Classic is all it was hyped up to be.

Packed Stadiums!

Fans are boisterous!
They are animated!
They are super fans.
Especially the Latinos and the Asians.
They are raucous to the point of drowning out the commentators.
Miami, Arizona, Japan, Taiwan.... It doesn't matter.

Solid Pitching

Star studded pitching staffs.

Many of these teams are headed by the #1 and #2 pitchers from their respective MLB affiliates.

The relief pitchers are among the best in the business.

So far I've counted 12 pitchers hitting the 100+ mph mark. I'm sure there are others.

Japan's 21-year-old right-hander Roki Sasaki reached 100 mph 21 times in 66 pitches.
Japan beat the Czech Republic 10-2 on Saturday night to clinch a quarterfinal berth in the World Baseball Classic.

Outstanding defenses.

Your have to applaud these players for the intensity they are putting on display.

I've seen plays that the eyeballs can't believe.

Explosive Offenses

Star studded lineups on offense are in abundance also.

With these offenses you are never out of a ball game.

[ If what I've seen and heard in this round of Pool play is any indication - I can't wait to see what happens in the quarter finals, semi finals, and championship games when the best of the best talent take center stage. ]

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Korea stays alive with win over Czech Republic

Michael Clair

March 12, 2023 6:24 AM CDT

TOKYO --

Korea’s World Baseball Classic dreams were almost dashed. Through two games, its pitchers had given up eight runs in a loss to Australia, and another 13 runs in the defeat against Japan – using an astonishing 10 pitchers along the way.

Facing the surprising and powerful Czech Republic offense here on Sunday, the Koreans needed outs. They turned to Lotte Giants’ right-hander Se-Woong Park and a very specific game plan: throw breaking balls.

It worked in Korea’s must-win 7-3 victory. It kept the country’s slim hopes alive to advance to the knockout stage – as long as Australia doesn’t win one more game.

Though Australia (2-0) holds the tiebreaker against Korea (1-2), there could be a three-way tie for runner-up in Pool B with Korea, Australia, and the Czech Republic (1-2). They would then be ranked by which club had the fewest runs divided by the number of defensive outs recorded in the games played between the three clubs.

The Korea win did guarantee that no one other than Australia or Japan (3-0) could win three games, ensuring that Japan would be moving to the quarterfinals as either Pool B's winner or runner-up.

“They swing hard at 95-plus mph fastballs,” Korea manager Kang-Chul Lee said about the Czech Republic’s hitters before the game. “But at the same time, they are not good at making contact with breaking balls. Overall, their baseball skill is way better than we thought.”

Park relied on his slider and changeup to keep the Czech batters off-balance. He tossed 4 2/3 innings and struck out eight batters. It took until Martin Cervenka’s double in the top of the fifth before the European nation recorded its first base hit.

"The starting pitcher, Se-Woong Park, did a tremendous job with the responsibility [in a must-win game]," Lee said afterward. "Thanks to him, because he pitched great, we could get a win."

With Park pitching masterfully, Korea was able to open up an early 6-0 lead in the second inning against reigning Czech Baseball Extraliga Pitcher of the Year Lukas Ercoli. Though few of Korea’s hits in the first two frames were hard-hit against the southpaw curveball specialist, they found holes, popped out of gloves, or took rough hops before bouncing into the outfield.

Manager Pavel Chadim liked having a left-hander go up against Korea. He also pointed to Ercoli's previous performance at the Regensburg, Germany, qualifier where he had defeated France in a must-win game as reasons for giving him the ball.

"Maybe he will show us [his talents] in the European Championship medal game," Chadim said about this fall's upcoming tournament that the nation is hosting.

The Czech Republic battled – scoring two runs in the seventh and adding another in the eighth -- but couldn’t complete the comeback.

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Great Britain on top of Canada 3-0 in the first inning.
Quantrill couldn't make it out of the first inning.
3 runs, 4 walks, 2 hits, 2 outs.
He left the game with a pitch count north of 40.
Bases are loaded. Chopper to the pitcher out at first unassisted.
That was UGLYYYY.
40.50 ERA

Bo having a tough game.
Terrible throws to second.
They're runnin' on Bo
Everyone is running.

5 Stolen bases in less than 3 innings.
Great Britain is loaded with speed top to bottom
SB: Young 3 (3, 2nd base off Quantrill/Naylor, B, home off Quantrill/Naylor, B, 2nd base off Aumont/Naylor, B); Koperniak (1, 2nd base off Quantrill/Naylor, B); Thompson, T (1, 2nd base off Aumont/Naylor, B).

After all the accolades, we get a stinker like Canada and Great Britain.
12-8 in the 4th inning. The game is almost 2 1/2 hours old
Every half inning has had at least 1 run scored so far.
USA and Mexico may have to cancel batting practice

If you like sloppy defense, shoddy pitching, but a lot of runs, this one's for you.

GBR 2 1 1 3
USA 5 1 4 6

GBR in 4 innings 12 walks 14 hits
USA in 4 innings 7 walks 8 hit (4 walks by Quantrill in the first inning)

5 stolen bases in 1 game is a WBC record (if I heard correctly) and we have 5 innings to go.

Israel rallies late to stun Nicaragua

Juan Toribio

March 12, 2023 3:56 PM CDT

MIAMI -- In a Pool D that includes powerhouses Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, not many people are giving Israel a chance to get out of the group and go deep in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

But that’s exactly how they like it.

Remember, this is the same team that shocked the world during the ‘17 WBC, winning its first four games of the tournament and making it into the second round. Six years later, Israel is hoping for a similar Cinderella story but with an even better ending.

That story got off to a strong first chapter as Israel completed a 3-1 comeback win over Nicaragua on Sunday at loanDepot Park.

“Nobody is really giving us a shot in this pool,” said designated hitter Spencer Horwitz. “We’re gonna go out there and give it everything we can. We’re going to compete and wherever the balls land, they land.”

After being held scoreless by four Nicaraguan pitchers with no Major League experience through seven innings, the balls finally landed in favor of Israel in the eighth inning. Impressively enough, the big hits came off Nicaragua’s best arm, Yankees reliever Jonathan Loáisiga, who was slated to pitch the eighth and ninth.

“I have no idea what happened,” manager Ian Kinsler said with a laugh, when asked what allowed his club to get to Nicaragua’s best hurler. “That’s what I expect from my team, to play all 27 outs and fight until the end. Today we were lucky enough to be on the right side.”

Led by Dean Kremer’s four scoreless innings, the Israel pitching staff held the Nicaraguan lineup in check long enough to give its lineup an opportunity to capitalize.

The Israeli side had plenty of chances to get the big hit early in the game. Its biggest chance came in the sixth inning when Danny Valencia came up with one out and the bases loaded. Valencia, however, grounded into an inning-ending double play.

At the time, it looked as if Israel had wasted its best chance. And with the dominant Loáisiga running out to the mound in the eighth, Israel appeared destined for a damaging loss in a game that was close to a must-win. But again, when the decks are stacked against them, that’s when they believe they’re at their best.

Horwitz got the breakthrough hit in the eighth, delivering a one-out RBI single to tie the game at 1. Three batters later, Garrett Stubbs broke it open for Israel, giving the team its first lead of the tournament with a two-run double off Loáisiga.

“He’s obviously a big league pitcher and he’s been in big situations before and he’s an unbelievable reliever," Stubbs said. "But in this situation, I just got a good pitch to hit and capitalized on the opportunity."

On Sunday, the Israeli team cherished the moment. Their fans were outnumbered by a loud Nicaraguan contingent in the ballpark. It’ll be much of the same over its next three games against Puerto Rico (Monday at 7 p.m. ET on FS1), the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

Israel will be heavy underdogs in each of those games. It could be one of the toughest three-game stretches in tournament history. Despite that, the team wouldn’t want it any other way.

“We have just as good of a shot as anybody,” Kinsler said. “We’re going to give it our best shot and try to make things interesting in Pool D.”

For Nicaragua, the search for its first win in WBC play doesn’t get much easier as the team will face the Dominican Republic, which will be looking to bounce back in a big way following a loss to Venezuela to open Pool D play, on Monday at noon ET (watch on FS2).

Canada trounces Great Britain as teams set a Classic record for runs

March 12, 2023 5:55 PM CDT

PHOENIX –

It takes two to make history. Canada and Great Britain, the latter appearing in its first World Baseball Classic, combined to score 26 runs Sunday afternoon at Chase Field, setting a new record for runs scored in a game at the tournament.

A deluge of offense rained down in the desert as Canada tied the record for most runs from a single club in the Classic, earning an 18-8 mercy rule victory after seven innings.

Before Canada even stepped into the batter’s box, they already faced a three-run deficit. After a stint six years ago that saw them combine for just three runs in three games, the task might have seemed daunting.

But in a prelude of things to come, second baseman Edouard Julien took the first pitch the Canadians saw at the 2023 Classic and swatted it into the right-field seats. Six members of the club’s starting nine collected multihit efforts, including center fielder Tyler O’Neill, who went 4-for-4 with four RBIs from the three-hole.

"That was awesome, first pitch, wasting no time, he went out there ready to swing," O'Neill said of Julien's homer. "Kudos to Jules for getting that done. That really got the wind back in our sails and we were steam rolling from there."

Despite an exhausted pitching staff, Great Britain will face a must-win scenario Monday when they square off with Colombia at 3 p.m. ET on FS2.

Also on Monday, Canada will be looking to combat Team USA’s significant power potential with their now-record-setting lineup. Mitch Bratt, a 19-year-old southpaw, will get the ball as the Canadians hope lightning strikes twice at Chase Field, the scene of their infamous upset win in 2006. First pitch is set for 10 p.m. ET on FS1.

[ Great Britain pitchers surrendered 15 walks and 17 hits in 6 innings ]


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Aussies eye first trip to quarterfinals vs. Czechs (Sun., 11 p.m. ET, FS2)

By Thomas Harrigan

March 12, 2023 5:51 PM EDT

Japan (4-0) has already clinched its spot in the quarterfinals, but there’s still one more Pool B spot up for grabs, with three teams in the mix to get it.

Australia (2-1) controls its own fate -- the Aussies will advance past the first round for the first time in World Baseball Classic history if they defeat the Czech Republic (1-2) on Sunday night. However, if the Czech Republic wins, the two teams would be tied with a 2-2 record. Korea (1-2) can also move to 2-2 with a win against China (0-3) on Monday (6 a.m. ET on FS2). The tiebreaker rules would then be used to determine which country advances.

Here’s what you need to know about Sunday’s matchup:

When and where: 11 p.m. ET at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

How you can watch:

The game between Australia and the Czech Republic will be live on Sunday at 11 p.m. ET on FS2. Games are available on FOX, FS1, FS2, Tubi or FOX Deportes, and every game can be streamed online in the FOX Sports App. For international viewing options, click here.

How you can listen:

Live audio coverage of all games will be carried on Sirius XM, TuneIn, MLB.com and in the MLB App.

What’s at stake:

Japan (4-0 in Pool B) has already guaranteed itself a spot in the quarterfinals. Australia (2-1) would advance from Pool B as well with a win over the Czech Republic (1-2). However, a loss and a Korea (1-2) win over China (0-3) would set up a three-way tie between Australia, the Czech Republic and Korea, putting tiebreaker rules into effect to determine the second country to advance from Pool B.

Matchup history:

This is the first time Australia and the Czech Republic will meet at the World Baseball Classic.

Key players to watch:

Robbie Glendinning, SS, Australia:

Glendinning homered in each of Australia’s wins at this year's Classic and has gone 4-for-11 (.364) with five RBIs and a 1.371 OPS through three games.

Matej Mensik, RF, Czech Republic:

Mensik hit the Czech Republic’s first World Baseball Classic homer in its win over China on Thursday and drove in two runs with a double against Korea on Saturday. He has a 1.344 OPS in this year’s Classic.

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Salvy, López put Venezuela in driver’s seat of dangerous Pool D

March 12, 2023 22 minutes ago

MIAMI – Led by a team full of stars, the Dominican Republic came into Pool D as the clear favorites to win the “Pool of Death” and one of the top choices to win this year’s World Baseball Classic.

Because of their experience, the Puerto Rican team also came into the tournament with high expectations. Puerto Rico is trying to get over the hump and win its first Classic after finishing as the runner-up in 2013 and ‘17.

That left Venezuela, a team that has as much talent – if not more – as any team in this tournament, somehow flying under the radar. But after a dominant win in its opener against the Dominican Republic and a similarly impressive 9-6 win over Puerto Rico on Sunday at loanDepot park, Venezuela has established itself as one of the teams to beat, and they’ve done it in emphatic fashion.

Before the first pitch, the roar of the crowd seemingly increased after every Puerto Rican player was announced. Puerto Rican fans slightly outnumbered the Venezuelans in one of the best atmospheres the tournament has to offer.

Over the next few hours, however, the Venezuelan offense made sure that loanDepot served as the stage to a massive Venezuelan party.

Salvador Perez, who went 4-for-4 and finished a triple shy of the cycle, opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning off Puerto Rican right-hander José Berríos. On the next pitch, Anthony Santander, who was one of the heroes on Saturday, continued his hot start to the tournament, launching a Berríos slurve for a three-run homer to give Venezuela a 4-0 lead just five batters into the game.

In the second inning, Perez joined the homer party, smacking a no-doubt three-run homer off Fernando Cruz, who relieved Berríos after he was unable to get an out in the second inning. Perez’s four hits tied him for second most in a game in WBC history behind only countrymate Martin Prado, who had five hits in ‘17.

The last two meetings in the 2017 WBC between these two teams resulted in domination by the Puerto Rican side. The Caribbean island outscored Venezuela, 24-2, in those contests. But on Sunday, Perez and the entire Venezuelan offense attacked all night long and exacted some payback on their international rival.

That early offensive explosion by Venezuela was enough to help withstand a late run from Puerto Rico that included a four-run sixth inning. Pablo López also played a big role in Venezuela’s win, allowing one run over 4 2/3 innings of work. Aside from a solo homer to Eddie Rosario in the bottom of the second inning, López dominated the Puerto Rican offense, allowing just two hits and no real threats. López exited to a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd in Miami.

With wins over the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, Venezuela is now in the driver’s seat in the toughest group of the tournament. Barring a collapse against Israel or Nicaragua, Venezuela should advance to the next round. And if the last two showings have been any indication, nobody should be surprised if the vinotinto makes quite the run.

For Puerto Rico, the loss pushes them to 1-1 in Pool D, and they will face Israel on Monday night at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. It’s a huge game for Puerto Rico with a much-anticipated meeting against the D.R. set for Wednesday night.
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Britain erases deficit, edges Colombia for first win of Classic

March 13, 2023 44 minutes ago

PHOENIX –

Great Britain spent the first two games of its World Baseball Classic journey jumping ahead early with first-inning runs. After falling on consecutive days, the Brits got behind Monday afternoon at Chase Field against Colombia, only to rush back with seven unanswered runs and narrowly hold on for their first win in Classic history, 7-5.

Fun has been rampant in the Great Britain dugout since the onset of Pool C action, complete with “sip the tea” celebrations, a home run crown and robe and exuberance for bringing their brand of baseball to the global stage.

A day after becoming the first player in Classic history to swipe home, Great Britain right fielder Chavez Young added his tournament-leading fourth steal, a key two-run single and a sprawling defensive gem in right field. Top Mariners prospect Harry Ford homered for the second consecutive day, adding to the legend of a 20-year-old who is already being dubbed the face of British baseball.

Despite the defeat, Colombia (1-1) still finds itself firmly in the running for one of the two tickets out of Pool C. The Colombians will clash with Canada (1-0) on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET on FS2. Great Britain (1-2) will wrap up its pool action Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on FS1 against Mexico (1-1) amid what should be a charged atmosphere.
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Soto, Machado power Dominicans past Nicaragua

March 13, 2023 3:45 PM CDT

MIAMI --

Juan Soto has hit leadoff twice in his Major League career. But with his country, the Dominican Republic, needing a spark, manager Rodney Linares penciled Soto in as the new leadoff hitter.

Once again, Soto proved that there’s virtually nothing he can’t do inside the batter’s box, turning into the ideal leadoff hitter for a dominant Dominican lineup, leading the charge by going 2-for-4 with a homer and three runs scored in the Dominican Republic’s 6-1 win over Nicaragua on Monday at loanDepot park. The victory gave them a 1-1 record in Pool D of the World Baseball Classic.

“I’ve never liked [hitting leadoff],” Soto said with a smile. “But I would do anything for my country.”

Soto opened the game with a single off Nicaragua right-hander JC Ramírez, and later came around to score the game’s first run on a Rafael Devers RBI double. In his next at-bat, Soto drew a walk and scored his second run on an Eloy Jiménez RBI single.

After being robbed of extra bases in his third at-bat, Soto launched the first homer of his World Baseball Classic career, an upper-deck shot off Nicaragua’s Junior Tellez, who couldn’t help but smile at Soto’s 401-foot blast in the sixth inning.

“Every time I wear this uniform, I feel happy to represent my country,” Soto said. “No matter against whom, I’m always out there enjoying every time, every second. That’s the way I like to play because you never know when this will happen again. We got the victory that we needed, but I’m just always trying to enjoy the game.”

Soto's Padres teammate Manny Machado also joined the homer party with a solo blast in the seventh inning. Machado came about 25 combined feet from hitting four homers, but a spacious loanDepot park made for a more modest Monday.

“I have to go to the gym after this,” Machado laughed. “No, man, it’s fun hitting home runs in the Classic. The environment that was there today was unbelievable. They’ve been bringing the energy every single day the last two days, and it’s been awesome to play in front of them and in front of this home crowd.”

The blasts by Soto and Machado also helped reveal a celebratory prop the Dominican Republic brought back from the country: A home run presidential sash.

General manager and designated hitter Nelson Cruz brought the sash, or the “nona” as Dominicans call it, from the Dominican Republic. The Dominicans were ready to break it out on Saturday against Venezuela, but were never able to show it to the world. They had their chances on Monday, and they hope to do it even more over the next two days.

“It’s very difficult to steal it from the president,” Soto laughed. “But we just borrowed it. That was the new celebration for the team. Thank God we could do it today and we enjoyed that moment.”

While the Dominican Republic’s lineup found its form, its pitching staff also did its job against Nicaragua. They were led by Cristian Javier, who tossed four scoreless innings in his WBC debut. The rest of the bullpen limited Nicaragua to one run over the final five frames.

“He pitched like Javier pitches – up in the zone, used his slider,” said Dominican Republic’s manager Rodney Linares. “Threw a couple of really nasty changeups.”

The pressure and expectations have been high for the Dominican Republic since rosters for the tournament were announced over a month ago.

The pressure only intensified as the entire island’s nerves ratcheted up following a loss to Venezuela in the country's Classic opener on Saturday. In order for the D.R. to advance to the quarterfinals and continue its dream of bringing a second WBC title home, it will likely have to win out in Pool D play.

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