“Otani the batter” was also strong.
Shohei Otani (LA Angels, Japan) swept 6 RBIs by hitting a 3-run homer in consecutive hits in an official evaluation match against the Hanshin Tigers of the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 6th. Thanks to Ohtani’s performance, the Japanese national team won 8-1.
On this day, Ohtani appeared as the designated hitter No. 3 and withdrew with a strikeout in his first at-bat in the top of the first inning. However, he hit 3 runs in mid-month against Hanshin starter Hiroto Saiki with 2 outs 1st and 2nd base at the beginning of the 3rd inning when the team was leading 1-0. Even though he got down on one knee during the swing, the ball went over the fence.
In the top of the 5th inning, leading 4-1, with 2 outs on 1st and 2nd base, he attacked left-handed pitcher Ren Tomita and once again made a mid-month home run. Ohtani, who was replaced with a pinch hitter in the 6th inning, said in an interview with <MLB.com>, “I was worried that I would miss the ball at bat because I was not in 100% condition because of the time difference,” but “Fortunately, I was able to make a good swing.”토토사이트
Ohtani is expected to start in Japan’s first group stage match against China (7:00 p.m. on the 9th). It is a paving stone for the quarterfinals and finals. In the match against Korea (7:00 p.m.), which will be held the next day (10th), Yu Darubishu (San Diego Padres) will start, and Ohtani is expected to face Korean pitchers as a designated hitter. The confrontation with ‘batter Ohtani’ is approaching.