Samurai Japan wrapped up its preparations for the 2026 World Baseball Classic with exhibition games against Nippon Professional Baseball’s Orix Buffaloes and Hanshin Tigers at Kyocera Dome on Sunday and Monday, falling to Orix 4-3 before edging Hanshin 5-4.
The series marked the exhibition debuts of Japan’s Major League Baseball contingent, including Shohei Ohtani, Seiya Suzuki, Masataka Yoshida, Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto, Yusei Kikuchi, and Tomoyuki Sugano.
Notably, veteran Sosuke Genda started both games at shortstop, a position that was somewhat of a question mark entering the exhibitions, which suggests manager Hirokazu Ibata is leaning toward him as the starter over Kaito Kozono for the WBC.
Ohtani and Kensuke Kondoh were deployed as the table-setters in the lineup, alternating between the leadoff spot and the two-hole. Behind them, Suzuki appears locked into the three-hole, with Murakami hitting cleanup and Shugo Maki settling into the seven spot, giving the batting order a clearer shape heading into the tournament.
Japan finished 4-2 overall in exhibition play, going 1-1 against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Miyazaki and 2-0 against the Chunichi Dragons in Nagoya before the recent contests in Osaka.
Samurai Japan now turns its attention to Pool C at the Tokyo Dome, where it will face Chinese Taipei, Korea, Australia, and Czechia. Should they advance, Japan will travel to Miami for the quarterfinals.
Orix Buffaloes 4, Samurai Japan 3 – Orix struck early against Yusei Kikuchi, plating two runs on RBI singles by Yutaro Sugimoto and Tomoya Mori.
The Buffaloes extended the lead to 3-0 later in the first inning when Shugo Maki’s throw to first sailed wide as he attempted to turn a double play.
Kikuchi, who is expected to start against Korea on March 7, showed some rust over four innings of work, allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out two.
Orix added another run in the fifth when Yusuke Mugitani delivered an RBI single off Atsuki Taneichi.
Meanwhile, Naruki Teranishi and Daiki Tajima combined for four perfect innings to open the game for Orix.
Masataka Yoshida finally picked up Japan’s first hit with a solo home run off Allen Kuri in the fifth that landed in the upper deck.
Shohei Ohtani finished 0 for 3 with two flyouts and a strikeout.
In the ninth, Maki ripped a two-out RBI double down the line to bring Japan within one, but the tying run was subsequently thrown out at the plate to end the game.
Samurai Japan Starting Lineup
1. RF Kensuke Kondoh
2. DH Shohei Ohtani
3. CF Seiya Suzuki
4. 1B Munetaka Murakami
5. LF Masataka Yoshida
6. 3B Teruaki Sato
7. 2B Shugo Maki
8. SS Sosuke Genda
9. C Seishiro Sakamoto
SP Yusei Kikuchi
Orix Buffaloes Starting Lineup
1. RF Yusuke Mugitani
2. LF Ryoma Nishikawa
3. 2B Ryo Ohta
4. DH Yutaro Sugimoto
5. C Tomoya Mori
6. 3B Masahiro Nishino
7. SS Kotaro Kurebayashi
8. 1B Ryoma Yamanaka
9. CF Keita Nakagawa
SP Naruki Teranishi
Samurai Japan 5, Hanshin Tigers 4 – Seiya Suzuki set the tone in the first, launching a 429-foot solo home run to left center off Masashi Itoh.
Kensuke Kondoh extended the lead with an RBI single off Carson Ragsdale in the third, and Suzuki picked up another RBI in the sixth with a run-scoring groundout to make it 3-0.
In the seventh, Shota Morishita lined a pinch-hit two-run single off his Hanshin teammate Atsuki Yuasa to bring the lead to five.
Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 2 with two groundouts.
On the mound, Hiroto Takahashi opened with two scoreless innings, striking out three. Yumeto Kanemaru followed with three innings of one-hit relief, and both Shoma Fujihira and Taisei added scoreless frames to keep Hanshin quiet.
The Tigers mounted a late push, scoring four runs against non-roster support member Reia Nakachi in the eighth, but fellow Chunichi Dragons non-roster arm Akira Neo worked a clean ninth to secure the victory.
Samurai Japan Starting Lineup
1. DH Shohei Ohtani
2. RF Kensuke Kondoh
3. CF Seiya Suzuki
4. 1B Munetaka Murakami
5. 3B Kazuma Okamoto
6. LF Masataka Yoshida
7. 2B Shugo Maki
8. SS Sosuke Genda
9. C Yuhei Nakamura
SP Hiroto Takahashi
Hanshin Tigers Starting Lineup
1. CF Koji Chikamoto
2. 2B Takumu Nakano
3. LF Hayato Nakagawa
4. 1B Yusuke Ohyama
5. DH Ukyo Maegawa
6. SS Cam Devanney
7. 3B Nozomu Takatera
8. RF Dan Onodera
9. C Torai Fushimi
SP Masashi Itoh
Photo: Masataka Yoshida of Japan, center, reacts after hits a single during the seventh inning of the exhibition game between Japan national team and Hanshin Tigers prior to the Pool C games at the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 in Osaka, western Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
