Shohei Ohtani fans Mike Trout for final out as Japan wins WBC

MIAMI — The dream matchup happened. Ninth inning. Two outs. One-run game. The best player on the planet, Shohei Ohtani, on the mound for Japan. His teammate and good friend, Mike Trout, at the plate for Team USA.

The count went full. Ohtani unleashed a vicious slider. Trout swung through it. And with it, Samurai Japan won the World Baseball Classic.

In a tense, anxiety-riddled game with a storybook ending, Japan capped a perfect WBC with a 3-2 victory over the U.S. in front of 36,058 at LoanDepot Park. The Japanese team held a potent U.S. offense down and in front of a partisan crowd, with «USA!» chants in the ninth inning, won the epic at-bat between the two Los Angeles Angels.

Ohtani, who hadn't pitched in relief since the 2016 postseason in Japan, had emerged out of the bullpen and took slow, long strides toward the plate — walking, taking in the scenery, as Trout, from the dugout, peeked over his shoulder just to make sure he knew what was coming.

What came to the first hitter, Jeff McNeil: a 101.5 mph fastball, the hardest Ohtani had thrown since coming to the United States — until he would later face Trout. McNeil wound up drawing a walk, but Mookie Betts grounded into a double play, setting up the at-bat Ohtani and Trout both wanted.

It lasted six pitches: a slider for a ball, a 100 mph fastball for a swinging strike, a 100 mph fastball for a ball, a 100 mph fastball for a swinging strike, a 101.6 mph fastball for a ball and the 87 mph slider, the last of three swinging strikes, to send Japan home champions.

Samurai Japan, the juggernaut of this WBC, finished off the Americans to cap a 7-0 tournament. Starting with Shota Imanaga and ending with Ohtani, who also went 1-for-3 batting third as designated hitter,