Australia nearly pulls WBC shocker against Ohtani and Japan

Australia stayed with defending World Baseball Classic champion Japan step for step for more than six innings during their Sunday pool play clash.

Masataka Yoshida changed that with one swing.

Yoshida, the Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to wipe out a one-run deficit and ultimately help Japan to a narrow 4-3 win.

Japan scored two more runs in the eighth to provide some breathing room, which proved important when Australia designated hitter Alex Hall AND first baseman Rixon Wingrove blasted solo homers in the ninth.

Australia matched zeroes with Japan for five innings before breaking through with the game’s first run in the sixth.

Center fielder Aaron Whitefield, who had three of Australia’s six hits, was almost single-handedly responsible for that run. Whitefield hit one-out double in the sixth off Japan reliever Chihiro Sumida, then he stole third and scored after a bad throw by Japan catcher Kenya Wakatsuki. It gave Australia a 1-0 lead, which it held going into the bottom of the seventh.

The starting pitchers were stellar with Tomoyuki Sugano leading Japan by working four scoreless innings with two hits and two strikeouts. Australia starter Connor MacDonald blanked Japan on one hit over three innings with one strikeout.

Australia could still advance to the next round by beating Korea on Monday (6 a.m. ET. on FS1).

Japan vs Australia World Baseball Classic highlights

Here are the highlights from Japan’s thrilling 4-3 win against Australia in the World Baseball Classic on Sunday, March 8:

Shohei Ohtani stats today

For the first time in this WBC, Shohei Ohtani did not leave the yard. He didn’t even have a hit.

Ohtani wound up 0-for-3 with two walks, the last of which was intentional in the eighth inning.

Ohtani led off the bottom of the first inning with a groundout to second base, and he ended the second inning with a hard lineout to center field. Ohtani came up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded and two outs, and he had a 2-2 count when his teammate Shugo Maki was picked off second base by Australia catcher Robbie Perkins to end the inning. Ohtani wound up lining out to right to start the fifth.

Ohtani won his fourth MVP award in 2025 with a career-high 55 home runs and returned to the mound after only hitting in 2024, leading the Dodgers to a second consecutive World Series title.