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Masataka Yoshida’s late blast changed the game’s script and punched Japan’s ticket to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. The two-run homer in the seventh lifted the defending champions to a 4-3 victory over Australia and secured the top spot in Group C.
Japan vs Australia: how the comeback unfolded
Japan fell behind early but chipped away before Yoshida’s decisive swing. The outfielder, who plays for the Boston Red Sox, turned a one-run deficit into a lead with a seventh-inning shot to right-center. Shohei Ohtani reached base ahead of him on a leadoff walk, setting the stage for the go-ahead blow.
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Earlier, starter Tomoyuki Sugano held Australia scoreless through four frames. The visitors then manufactured a run in the sixth when Aaron Whitefield doubled, stole third and scored after a throwing error by catcher Kenya Wakatsuki. Chihiro Sumida, in relief, yielded the sequence that produced Australia’s lone early run.
Key moments that decided the game
- Seventh inning: Yoshida’s two-run homer gave Japan the lead.
- Eighth inning: Teruaki Sato added an RBI, and Seiya Suzuki drew a bases-loaded walk.
- Ninth inning: Alex Hall and Rixon Wingrove hit solo homers, but Taisei Ota closed it out.
Pitching and bullpen notes from both teams
Sugano’s early work kept Japan in the game. Australia’s bullpen issued plenty of free passes, including the four-pitch walk to Ohtani from Jon Kennedy—one of 12 walks issued by Australian pitchers. Japan’s relievers responded, and closer Taisei Ota earned the save after a two-run scare in the ninth.
Ota surrendered solo homers to Hall and Wingrove but recorded the final out on a ground ball by Robbie Perkins to notch his second save of the tournament.
Players who made an impact
- Masataka Yoshida — seventh-inning, two-run homer
- Shohei Ohtani — leadoff walk that set up the rally
- Tomoyuki Sugano — four scoreless innings to start
- Teruaki Sato — RBI in the eighth
- Seiya Suzuki — drew bases-loaded walk to extend the lead
- Aaron Whitefield — sixth-inning double, steal, and scored on an error
- Taisei Ota — recorded the save despite a late rally
Impact on the WBC standings and what’s next
With the win, Japan improved to 3-0 and clinched first place in Group C. Earlier in the day, Chinese Taipei beat South Korea 5-4 in 10 innings, which helped lock Japan’s spot in the quarterfinals.
Japan will finish group play against Czechia on Tuesday. The team will then travel to Miami for a quarterfinal game scheduled for Saturday.
Associated Press reporting contributed to this story.
