Latest news with #2023WorldBaseballClassic
The Mainichi
a day ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Yamamoto throws 6 shutout frames, but Dodgers fall to Cards
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (Kyodo) -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw six scoreless innings, but the Los Angeles Dodgers offense was kept quiet in a 2-1 walk-off loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. Pursuing his seventh win of the season, the Japanese right-hander left the mound with the game still scoreless after fanning nine while scattering four hits and two walks. The Dodger lineup continued its recent struggles with a lack of timely hitting, leaving three runners stranded in the third and two in the sixth at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals broke the ice on Alec Burleson's RBI single in the eighth before Shohei Ohtani scored on a wild pitch to tie it for the Dodgers in the top of the ninth. St. Louis walked off on Nolan Arenado's single in the bottom of the inning. "You sometimes win games thanks to your team scoring a lot of runs, but there are other games where you just have to persevere," Yamamoto said. "That's baseball." The Los Angeles ace had his first matchup against Lars Nootbaar, his Samurai Japan teammate from the 2023 World Baseball Classic, striking him out as he led off for the Cardinals and fanning him again to end the second with the bases loaded. "I was really looking forward to it," Yamamoto said. "I definitely pitched carefully (in the second inning). I think I threw a lot of good pitches." Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a walk as he extended his hit streak to four games and gave the Dodgers their first run in 18 innings. In other MLB action, Seiya Suzuki homered twice to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 6-1 win against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The Japanese outfielder broke the ice with a line-drive solo blast to left with two out in the first inning. He delivered another solo shot to complete the scoring in the eighth, flying high over left field with his 16th home run of the season. Suzuki spoke after the game about his friendly rivalry with teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong to lead the Cubs in home runs. The American outfielder kept his nose in front with homer No. 17 in the seventh inning. "I keep asking him to remind me how many home runs he's hit so far," Suzuki said.
Newsweek
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Several MLB Stars Make WBC Participation Announcements
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The last at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani was the perfect way to end it. Two of the best players in the game facing off against each other with the whole world watching was perfect. Ohtani got the upper hand and finished the event with a strikeout of Trout, to secure the championship for team Japan. The event will be the center of attention next year, and several stars want to participate in it when it rolls back around. NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 14: 2026 WBC Team USA Captain Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees and Team USA manager Mark DeRosa speak to the media before the game against the Kansas... NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 14: 2026 WBC Team USA Captain Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees and Team USA manager Mark DeRosa speak to the media before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 14, 2025 in New York, New York. More NewBy now, most fans have probably seen that outfielder Aaron Judge and starting pitcher Paul Skenes will headline Team USA. Other teams are starting to come together with recent announcements from several players. New York Mets superstar Juan Soto announced that he will represent the Dominican Republic. Soto represented the country in the 2023 WBC as well and performed at an extremely high level. In four games during the WBC, he collected five hits, including a home run and an RBI, scored six runs, and posted an impressive 1.500 OPS. If he produces anywhere near that level again next year, the DR will have a great chance of reaching the finals. Juan Soto announces he will play for team Dominican Republic in the 2026 WBC 🇩🇴 — B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 14, 2025 Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino will return and represent Italy for the second consecutive WBC. He underperformed a bit in 2023, going just 4-for-20 at the plate. He was joined in 2023 by other major leaguers, Nicky Lopez, David Fletcher, Miles Mastrobouni and Andre Pallante and Sal Frelick. None of those three have made announcements yet, and it will be interesting to see if they all decide to run it back. The Pasquatch goes international! Vinnie Pasquantino has announced that he will play for Team Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic! — Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 7, 2025 Seattle Mariners closer Andres Muñoz was another player to make an announcement surrounding his WBC status. Muñoz announced he would represent Mexico in the WBC, marking his first appearance in the event. He underwent ankle surgery during the 2022 offseason that forced him to miss the event in 2023. Muñoz has been the best reliever in baseball this season, as he has still not allowed an earned run through 19 appearances so far this season. Andrés Muñoz announces he will play for Team Mexico in the 2026 WBC 🇲🇽 — B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 14, 2025 More MLB: Clayton Kershaw Breaks Silence on Retirement Ahead of Highly Anticipated Return
Fox Sports
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Mets' Juan Soto playing for Dominican Republic in 2026 World Baseball Classic
New York Mets star outfielder Juan Soto announced on Wednesday that he'll play for the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which will air exclusively on FOX networks. It will be the second time that Soto plays in the World Baseball Classic, with the Dominican Republic going 2-2 and failing to advance out of Pool D in the 2023 tournament. However, Soto was one of the team's bright spots, hitting two home runs and going 6 for 15. Japan beat the United States in the championship game to win the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The Mets, of course, have a bad memory of the World Baseball Classic, as closer Edwin Díaz suffered a torn patellar tendon in a celebration pile following a Puerto Rico win in the previous tournament; Diaz missed the 2023 MLB season due to the injury. As for Soto, the five-time Silver Slugger is in his first season with the Mets, who signed him to a record-breaking, 15-year, $765 million contract in the offseason. Thus far, Soto has totaled eight home runs and 20 RBIs, while boasting a .255/.380/.465 slash line and posting 1 DRS in right field. The Mets are atop the National League East at 28-15, which is the best record in the NL. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience World Baseball Classic New York Mets Juan Soto recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers place Roki Sasaki on IL with shoulder issue amid slow start to phenom's MLB career
Roki Sasaki's rookie year has not been going according to plan, and now the Los Angeles Dodgers are hitting the pause button. The team announced Tuesday it is placing the Japanese phenom on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. Reliever J.P. Feyereisen was recalled in a corresponding move. Unless his placement is retroactive, Sasaki will be eligible to return on May 28. Advertisement The move comes with Sasaki holding a 4.72 ERA, a 6.17 FIP, a 1.485 WHIP and a bunch of other unimpressive numbers. After sitting at 100 mph in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and in the high 90s in Japan last year, his fastball is averaging 96 mph so far this season per Baseball Savant. It was only 94.8 mph in his most recent start, in which he allowed five earned runs and five hits with no strikeouts in four innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Tuesday Sasaki felt arm soreness after the start. All of this has been far worse than what many expected from Sasaki as he made a much-hyped transition to MLB. Can the Dodgers fix Roki Sasaki? Sasaki sent shockwaves throughout baseball when he was posted by his Chiba Lotte Marines team in Japan's NPB, foregoing a potential nine-figure deal he could have landed had he come over two years later. With his price limited by international bonus pools, he was hyped as potentially one of the biggest bargains in baseball history. Advertisement Few were surprised when Sasaki opted to join the reigning World Series champions on a $6.5 million deal, giving him the change to play for a perennial contender with two Team Japan teammates. It all seemed too good to not work out for the Dodgers, but here we are, with Sasaki on the injured list after eight replacement-level starts. Sasaki entered MLB with a three-pitch arsenal: his high-velocity four-seam fastball, one of the best splitters in the world and a slider he was still working on last year. The splitter has been as advertised, but hitters have feasted on the fastball, slugging .494 against it. Roki Sasaki is still a work in progress for the Dodgers. (Photo by) (Christian Petersen via Getty Images) Regardless of changing leagues, that's what happens when a four-seamer goes from one of the fastest in the world to just another mid-90s offering. Roberts said Tuesday the team is still trying to figure things out with Sasaki's fastball: "I think that there's command component. I think there's a 'go out there and try to compete every fifth or sixth day to get major-league hitters out.' We're still trying to have conversations to see where he's at, because at the end of the day, we want to make sure that he is performing up to his capabilities and up to our capabilities and expectations. There's a lot of things that we're trying to suss out right now with Roki." Advertisement Sasaki entered MLB as one of the most-hyped prospects in living memory, in the zip code of Paul Skenes and Stephen Strasburg. However, it's becoming increasingly clear he did not enter the league as a finished product like his teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who accomplished much more in NPB before coming over. None of this is to say Sasaki is already a bust. He is 23 years old and only in his first few months of adjusting to both big-league hitting and the Dodgers' player-development machine. The IL stint could be as much a get-right period to avoid a demotion as it is a response to injury. Still, none of this is ideal.
CBS News
18-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Dodgers quest for back-to-back World Series titles begins in Japan
The Los Angeles Dodgers will begin their quest for back-to-back World Series titles every Tuesday morning when they face off against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan. First pitch, which is scheduled for 3:10 a.m. in California, will officially begin the 205 MLB Season, ending a months-long drought without "meaningful baseball." The last time the Boys in Blue took the field was Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, when they wrapped up what was one of the most memorable seasons in franchise history and earned their eighth title. Japan native Yoshinobu Yamamoto will toe the mound first for the Dodgers, facing off against fellow countryman Shota Imanaga. It will mark the first time in MLB history that an opening day pitching matchup is all-Japanese. The two were teammates on Japan's 2023 World Baseball Classic team, which also featured the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki. The latter, who the Dodgers inked to a contract in the offseason, is slated to start for Los Angeles in the second game of the series, in which the Dodgers will be the away team. Sasaki was one of the many high profile additions that the Dodgers made in the months following their World Series win. They also signed left-handed ace Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract, standout relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates and South Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim. Those adds come just a year after what was inarguably the biggest offseason the team has ever had, highlighted by the Ohtani, Yamamoto and Teoscar Hernández signings and a trade that landed Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays. All of the previously named Japanese pitchers, plus Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, experienced incredible success playing in Nippon Professional Baseball, the country's top professional baseball league. Both the Dodgers and Cubs played a series of exhibition games against NPB's Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers. On top of all those connections, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also has distinct ties to Japan. He was born in Naha, Okinawa in 1972 to his mother Eiko, an Okinawa native and his father Waymon, who was stationed in Japan with the US Marine Crops. Last season, his first since leaving Japan, Yamamoto performed exactly as expected, hurling 90 innings to the tune of a 3.00 ERA, 105 strikeouts and a 7-2 record. He made four postseason starts for the Boys in Blue as well, each of which they wound up winning. Ohtani put together what may be the finest season ever in 2024, when he became the first and only member of the 50 home run and 50 stolen bases club, which made him the clear favorite and eventual winner of his third Most Valuable Player Award. It was his first since he left the Los Angeles Angels, with whom he won the award in 2021 and 2023. Despite these two games marking the official start of the season, the Dodgers will return to Southern California next week for a three-game series of exhibitions against the Angels, what many know and love as the Freeway Series. Those games will lead up to March 27, when the Dodgers host the Detroit Tigers and the rest of the league begins the 2025 campaign.
