"This is the best country." Without Ohtani, 13 points! 日, 'Winning Team' Sobang '13-3' 7th Rainfall Cold Victory

*This content was translated by AI.

The Japanese baseball team's "Samurai Japan," which aims to win its second consecutive 2026 WBC (World Baseball Classic) title in March, showed off its formidable firepower on its first real stage. It was a "domestic" lineup without major leaguers such as Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers), but he won a great victory last season by showing a ruthless offense against the NPB (Japan Professional Baseball) Japan Series Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.

The Japanese national team, led by head coach Hirokazu Ibata, recorded a 13-3 rainfall cold win in the seventh inning against Softbank at San Marin Stadium in Miyazaki, Japan, on the 22nd. The national team's bat did not cool down even in the rainy and windy conditions.

On this day, the Japanese national team played without major league players such as Shohei Ohtani. Yusei Kikuchi (35), who was virtually confirmed as a starter against Korea, even joined the national team ahead of the game. However, the momentum of young blood that dominated the NPB prevented the major leaguers from feeling the absence. In particular, hitters from the Hanshin Tigers dominated the game with 11 RBIs out of 13 points.

On this day, Japan's starting lineup consisted of Kondo Kensuke (right fielder), Yuko Shuto (center fielder), Shugo Maki (second baseman), Teruaki Sato (third baseman), Shota Morishita (left fielder), Taisei Makihara (designated hitter), Sosuke Genda (striker), Seishiro Sakamoto (catcher) and Raito Nakayama (first baseman).

Sato Deruaki (Hanshin), who is in charge of advancing to the Major League after the end of the 2026 season, opened the door. Sato tied the game with an infield hit in a 0-1 full base chance immediately after giving up the first run in the top of the first inning, setting the stage for a turnaround. With the momentum, Shota Morisita (Hanshin) hit a two-run double and turned the tide at once.

Sato's bat didn't stop. Sato, who added a two-run double with two outs and a second base in the second inning, also scored a two-run double in the fifth inning, scoring five RBIs alone, showing off the prowess of the national team's fourth batter.

The home run was also activated. In the top of the third inning, Hanshin catcher Seishiro Sakamoto hit a two-run home run over the left fence, becoming the main character of the national team's first home run.

In the fifth inning, Morissita, who had two RBIs earlier, sealed the game by drawing a two-run arch over the left-center fence. Morisita had two hits and four RBIs in three at-bats, including a home run. Softbank's key hitter Kondo, who played as the first batter and right fielder, also showed excellent performance with two hits in three at-bats against his team.

The game was not smooth due to rain. Before the start of the bottom of the fifth inning, when the game was leading 8-2, the game was temporarily suspended due to heavy rain and a large sheet was laid on the ground. The game resumed about 15 minutes later, but the rain became stronger. In the end, a rainfall cold was declared shortly after the end of the 7th inning when the Japanese national team led 13-3 after consultations between Ibata, Softbank coach Kokubo and the referees.

The starting pitcher for the Japanese national team was Orix left-hander Ryuhei Sotani. Sotani was in trouble with four hits (one home run) and two runs in two innings, but Hiromi Ito (Nipponham Fighters), Hiroya Miyagi (Orix), and Ryota Itogawa (Seibu), who took the mound, all pitched scoreless pitching.

Despite the shorter game time, the Japanese national team showed an overwhelming scoring ability of 13 points, proving its potential as a 'champion candidate'. "Ivata," which has confirmed its solid power without major leaguers, will now continue its tempering toward the first round of the WBC against Taiwan at Tokyo Dome on March 6.

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*This content was translated by AI.