Going into the World Baseball Classic, Shohei Ohtani was the biggest star on the Japanese team, if not the entire tournament. On Monday night, the two-way Los Angeles Angels superstar was content to play a vital supporting role.
Ohtani went 2-for-4 and had a hand in two rallies, including the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth, that gave the Samurai Japan a dramatic 6-5 victory over Mexico in the semifinals in Miami, setting up a highly anticipated championship clash with the United States.
"We knew it wouldn't be an easy win, but we never expected a game like this," Ohtani said in a TV interview on the field after the game.
