The match that faced the teams of Mexico and Japan in one of the semifinals of the recently concluded V World Baseball Classic (WBC)was chosen as the best in the history of this tournament, which began to be held in 2006.
The duel that was sealed with the triumph of the Japanese team with a tight 6-5 scoreboard, heads the list of the ten best challenges held in the five editions of the contest, prepared by the Major League Baseball (MLB) site.
The MLB names Mexico vs Japan as the best game in the history of the Classic; Baseball World Cup ?https://t.co/2H2gp5iqMX
– ESPN.com.mx (@ESPNmx) March 25, 2023
As the organization publishes on its website, “this game was a back and forth suspense movie that had absolutely everything”, as Roki Sasaki started the game with straight lines close to 164 km/h, only for Luis Urías to put beat Mexico 3-0 with a home run in the fourth inning.
Mexico held onto the score in the later innings, but in the seventh “a majestic three-run homer by Mastaka Yoshida, near the pole foultied the game.”
Although the team led by Benjamín Gil regained the 5-4 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, in the bottom of the ninth inning the star Shohei Ohtani received the Mexican closer Giovanny Gallegos with a double, followed by Yoshida receiving a walk and Munetaka Murakami hit the doublet that decreed the triumph of the Japanese.
Mexico also appears as the protagonist of the confrontation that occupies the seventh place in the ranking, also corresponding to the most recent version of the World Classic.
This is the clash in which they faced the powerful team of Puerto Rico, in which they came back from an adverse score to be included among the best four teams in the tournament.
The Puerto Ricans had taken an early 4-0 lead in the top of the opening inning thanks to home runs by Javier Báez and Eddie Rosario, but the Aztecs did not stop fighting throughout the game until the situation was reversed.
“After putting the first run on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning, Isaac Paredes was the hero in the seventh with a tying two-run single before taking over,” the review added. from MLB.
It also highlights that Mexico was able to maintain the lead and take home the victory thanks to an incredible catch by Randy Arozarena near the left field fences, and the effective relief of Gallegos with runners on first and second, for the save.
The published list does not include matches corresponding to the 2006 and 2013 editions. The United States is the country with the most presence in these duels with four, including the one they lost to Japan in the final this year.
Another group of matches was placed in an Honorable Mention category, including the match that Cuba beat the Dominican Republic 3-1 in the initial edition of these tournaments.
MLB is one of the organizers of the World Classic, along with the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WCBS).
top ten
1) Japan defeats Mexico 5-4 (semifinal 2023).
2) Japan defeats South Korea 5-3 in 10 innings (2009 final).
3) United States defeats Dominican Republic 6-3 (2017 second round).
4) United States defeats Puerto Rico 6-5 (2009 second round).
5) Japan defeats the United States 3-2 (final 2023).
6) The Netherlands defeats the Dominican Republic 2-1 in 11 innings (first round 2009).
7) Israel defeats South Korea 2-1 in 10 innings (first round 2017).
8) Puerto Rico defeats the Netherlands 4-3 in 11 innings (2017 semifinal).
9) Mexico defeats Puerto Rico 5-4 (second round 2023).
10) Dominican Republic defeats the United States 7-5 (first round 2017).
honorable mentions
Dominican Republic defeats Colombia 10-3 in 11 innings (first round 2017).
Italy defeats Mexico 10-9 (first round 2017).
Canada defeats the United States 8-6 (first round 2006).
United States defeats Japan 2-1 (2017 semifinal).
Venezuela defeats Italy 11-10 in 10 innings (first round 2017).
Puerto Rico defeats Japan 3-1 (2013 semifinal).
Dominican Republic defeats United States, 3-1 (2013 second round).
Dominican Republic defeats Italy 5-4 (2013 second round).
Cuba defeats the Dominican Republic 3-1 (2006 semifinal).
