Ohtani strikes out Trout to win the World Baseball Classic, a breakdown
What Happened
In the championship game of the World Baseball Classic, Team USA faces off against Team Japan in a thrilling one-run matchup. Shohei Ohtani of Japan takes the mound to face Mike Trout of the United States in a high-stakes showdown. Ohtani starts Trout with a slider that misses the strike zone, but Trout appears to be taking the pitch. The next pitch is a blazing 100 mph fastball from Ohtani that blows by Trout, eliciting an audible reaction from the crowd. Ohtani follows up with another 100 mph heater, this one with natural cut that Trout is unable to catch up to. After two straight overpowering fastballs, Ohtani goes back to the slider, but this one catches the bottom of the strike zone, freezing Trout. The Japanese dugout erupts in celebration, sensing their closer is one out away from sealing the victory. Ohtani then reaches back for another 102 mph fastball, but he pulls it above the zone. With the count now full, Ohtani makes a bold decision, dialing up a nasty slider that dives below the strike zone, causing Trout to swing and miss for the final out. The Japanese players erupt in jubilation, with Ohtani ripping off his glove and hat in excitement. He makes sure to first congratulate his catcher before joining the rest of his team in celebrating their World Baseball Classic championship. The catcher and another player share an emotional embrace, savoring the moment. As the game ends in a freeze-frame, the triumphant scene captures the pure joy and camaraderie of the Japanese team after Ohtani's dominant performance to defeat the star-studded American squad and clinch the title.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentTeam USA versus Team Japan in the
championship game Mike Trout at the
plate
shohei Otani on the bump if this was a
script this is what you'd write a
one-run game two outs first pitch he
opens them up with a slider just below
the Zone let's watch it again oh trout
looks like he was kind of taken the
whole way
see yeah I think Trey was taken the
whole way and it's below the zone so
that's nice for Mike because maybe he
chases that if he's gonna try and swing
that looks like three fingers the
catcher's putting down but it's a
fastball calls for a fastball here and
shohei puts one on an absolute line
bottom of the Zone trout is behind it
look at this pitch
just
oh my God 100 miles per hour that's the
noise I would make
so now you go fastball after the slider
you're gonna mix it up and go back to
the slider you're gonna double up the
fastballs 100 miles per hour the team is
ready to celebrate they double up the
fastball and it's got so much
like cut to it
I think he just yanked it and it has
naturally that way I think that's just a
yank he has a cutter but it sits like 91
miles per hour not 100. so now two
fastballs in a row trout and that one
was just off the plate is he gonna go
three in a row yep and that is what you
pay to see if I told you hey are you
interested in seeing shohei Otani throw
a 100 mile per hour fastball right down
the middle to Mike Trout who's swinging
as hard as he can to hit it would you be
interested in that I think you'd say
yeah I'd love to see that oh just under
it because it's got so much ride to it
it stays through the Zone because it's
just a really really nice pitch there's
the grip on it oh
man that's fast so now oh that was a lot
of fastballs is he gonna throw another
one it seems like a good pitch shohei
says yes but he yanked that one too got
it up to 102 miles per hour whoops all
right so now it's three two you don't
want to walk them you want to be a hero
you want to go after him you've only
thrown one slider you've thrown
fastballs the rest of the way he swung
and missed that two fastballs
conventional wisdom would say Throw
Another fastball in the zone blow it buy
him don't get too cute what does he do
he gets so cute it's sexy throws a
slider on the 3-2 count and before we go
look at the celebration you have to see
the overlay of these two pitches it's
nuts
nuts what a ballsy pitch and I think he
would have got a strike in the zone
anyway because it crosses the plate oh
it crosses over the plate
I mean they like completely cross right
there what a pitch man let's watch it
again slow mo
that's such a good and fun pitch 87
miles per hour after the 100 mile per
hour fastballs all right let's see the
celebration the pitch is thrown little
fist pump giant scream off with the
glove off with the hat and then he's
gonna celebrate with his team and I got
worried here man because I was like oh
oh show hey you gotta you gotta hug your
catcher before you hug your teammates
and that's exactly what he does all
class he knows the rules listen the
catcher and the Pitcher your battery
mates you gotta make sure that usually
you go to each other shohei veered the
other way the catcher had to kind of
chase him down but he knew he knew hold
up guys hold up where are you where are
you okay great job great job great job
I'm gonna go celebrate the rest of Team
great you do your thing I'm Gonna Do My
Thing catch her at a great reaction
the freeze frame ending right there to a
movie how about it here's the catcher
and his I'm guessing best friend on the
team or maybe they don't know each other
that well but they found each other in
this moment and that's beautiful and
then this third guy comes and he's like
we get along we get along right and then
another Freeze Frame Movie ending I love
how much Japanese players give you the
movie Freeze Frame endings there's
always pointing up to the heavens and
screaming and stuff and whoa uh whoa uh
another one
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