The World Baseball Classic is officially underway, with the first game set to begin Thursday. But several teams are playing exhibition games this week ahead of pool play — including Team Japan, led by several MLB stars, most notably Los Angeles Dodgers standout Shohei Ohtani.
Team Japan faced the Orix Buffaloes, one of Japan’s top professional teams, and ultimately lost 4–3 in a thrilling finish. Down by two runs in the ninth, Japan managed to score one, but the second runner was thrown out at home on a perfect relay from left field, recording the third and final out.
Ohtani’s reaction in the dugout immediately caught fans’ attention. He was seen clapping with a smile, acknowledging both the dramatic ending and the opponent’s outstanding play, showing grace despite the loss. While it’s just an early exhibition game, the result was a notable moment for Team Japan, the defending WBC champions from 2023.
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“Here’s hoping Team Japan loosing out in the first round. I just want my players back in LA healthy,” a fan said.
Someone else added, “[Ohtani] had Orix Buffaloes ML.”
Another person wrote, “That was electric.”
“Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s old NPB team with the W,” a fan shared.
One more person commented, “When the team loses but the bank account winning.”
Against the Buffaloes on Monday, Ohtani went 0-for-3 with two fly-outs and a strikeout while batting second in the lineup — a spot he will likely keep when Japan begins pool play on Saturday in Pool C, hosted in Japan, with their first matchup against Chinese Taipei.
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