The starting lineup for the World Baseball Classic match between Japan and South Korea has been announced, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the starting pitcher and Shohei Ohtani batting first as designated hitter.
The sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) is set to take place on July 7 at Tokyo Dome, featuring a key matchup between the defending champions, Samurai Japan, and South Korea in the second game of Pool C. The game is scheduled to start at 7 PM. In a pre-game press conference, Samurai Japan's manager, Hirokazu Ibata, expressed a desire to secure victory through their typical style of 'connected baseball.' He highlighted a significant concern regarding South Korea, emphasizing the threat of home runs when runners are on base, and the importance of minimizing walks and defensive errors to avoid giving South Korea any advantages.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers is continuing his role as designated hitter, having participated in batting practice before the game where he hit five home runs out of 26 swings. The starting lineup also includes Seiji Sakamoto, the catcher from Hanshin Tigers, marking an adjusted offensive strategy against South Korea. Japan has a strong historical record against South Korea, having won their last 11 matches against them, with the last defeat occurring in the semifinals of the Premier 12 international tournament in November 2015. Additionally, Japan's pitching lineup sees Yoshinobu Yamamoto making his WBC debut after a challenging outing against the Orix team, raising questions about whether he can effectively counter South Korea's potent lineup.
