TOKYO – The last time Samurai Japan and Team USA met, the entire world had its eyes on a matchup between then-teammates Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout to end the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The stakes weren’t quite as high Thursday night in their Premier12 Super Round opener at the Tokyo Dome, but Japan got the better of the Americans again with a 9-1 thumping. It was their 25th consecutive win in major international competitions, powered by a two home run, seven RBI performance by second baseman Kaito Kozono.
Yesterday, U.S. manager Mike Scioscia was clear: “We have to focus on how we play, not who we play.” Unfortunately for Scioscia, Thursday night was not USA’s night. Forty-four year old southpaw Rich Hill matched 22-year-old Chunichi Dragons righty Hiroto Takahashi with four shutout innings, but the bullpen imploded as Japan scored nine unanswered runs from the fifth inning.
Takahashi struck out the side on 16 pitches in the first inning, sitting down Chandler Simpson, Matt Shaw, and Luke Ritter in order with his splitter. He also tied a career-best 98 mph. Japan put two runners on in the bottom frame, but Hill sat down Shota Morishita and Ryoya Kurihara to escape the jam.
Rich Hill the ageless wonder pitching for @USABaseball v’s @samuraijapan_pr
Tokyo Dome @Premier12 pic.twitter.com/747fkTpat5— Ryan Rowland-Smith (@hyphen18) November 21, 2024
MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 overall prospect Carson Williams got the U.S. on the board in the hit column with a seconnd inning one-out double, but Colby Thomas and Termarr Johnson became victims of Takahashi’s devastating split-finger to end the inning.
Takahashi kept going back to his 91 mph splitter to put away the American hitters, one after another, but Hill carved up the Samurai with his own formula, sitting in the high 80s on the fastball and relying on slow 70 mph curveballs.
髙橋宏斗 146キロスプリット😎……7K’s
真ん中からベース板上で消し込むキレ抜群の宝刀 pic.twitter.com/oeS6JqzFZH
— tanaka13ver2024 (@tanaka13ver2021) November 21, 2024
Takahashi exited the game despite throwing just 70 pitches. He dazzled all night, allowing two hits and striking out eight. “Last start, my fastball and splitter were good but I didn’t have a feel for a third pitch like my cutter or curveball,” Takahashi said after the game. “This time, my other pitches were working too and I was able to adjust to the hitters.”
Seibu Lions southpaw Chihiro Sumida entered in a scoreless game in the top of the fifth, but was immediately greeted by a 437-foot moonshot off the bat of Colby Thomas.
“It’s an awesome environment playing here, so that keeps your energy levels high,” Thomas said after the game. “I haven’t been to the Major Leagues yet, but I’ve never played in an atmosphere like this before.”
https://twitter.com/WBSC/status/1859559050855448718
Hill, who struck out five across four shutout innings, was relieved by Darrell Thompson in the bottom of the inning, finally awakening the Japanese offense as Sosuke Genda and Keita Sano singled before Shogo Sakakura tied it with an RBI double. With two outs and runners on the corners, Kozono ripped a triple down the line to put Japan up 3-1.
🇯🇵📚 Shogo Sakakura with a batting clinic!#Premier12 || @Premier12 pic.twitter.com/VHUmQhBZaX
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) November 21, 2024
Sumida recovered well from the leadoff homer, striking out three in two innings of relief, and Koki Kitayama recorded a pair of punchouts in the 7th. Kozono put the game away in the bottom frame with a three-run shot off Zane Mills for his 5th RBI of the night.
https://twitter.com/WBSC/status/1859574741490860379
The following inning, he went deep again for his 7th ribbie of the night. Kozono only hit two long balls in 143 games during the NPB season but matched that in two innings tonight. Shoma Fujihira and Rikuto Yokoyama got the final six outs as the Samurai pitching staff racked up the Ks again with 16 in total.
Japan has now won 25 consecutive games at major international tournaments dating back to 2019. “We just think in terms of winning the game today,” skipper Hirokazu Ibata said, crediting the managers that came before him for Japan’s continued dominance.
Ibata suggested that this would be Takahashi’s final game of the Premier12, but the 22-year-old ace didn’t rule out an appearance out of the bullpen over the weekend.
“I’ll be ready if called upon,” he said.
NOTEBOOK – Japan will face Venezuela on November 22 at 7 p.m. JST, or 5 a.m. EST. The United States will play Chinese Taipei on November 22 at 12 p.m. JST. That game will start November 21 at 10 p.m. EST at the Tokyo Dome.
All of the remaining 2024 Premier12 games are streamed on https://gametime.sport/ and DAZN.
Photo: Samurai Japan starter Hiroto Takahashi allowed two hits over four scoreless innings, striking out eight and walking one as Japan beat the United States 9-1 at Tokyo Dome in the4r 2024 WBSC Premier 12 Super Round opener. (Photo Courtesy WBSC)
