On Tuesday, March 21, Team Japan met Team USA in the finals of the World Baseball Classic at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Both teams looked to make history, as Team Japan sought their third WBC, and Team USA looked to win back-to-back championships.

Trea Turner started off the scoring early for USA, hitting a solo home run in the top of the second inning. That marked his fifth of the tournament, tying the record for most in a single WBC.

Munetaka Murakami answered back in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run of his own, tying the game. After Japan loaded the bases, Lars Nootbaar batted in a run to take the lead.

Kazuma Okamoto extended the lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth.

Kyle Schwarber would hit a solo home run to bring the game to 3-2 in the eighth.

It came down to a pair of Los Angeles Angels teammates facing off for the first time at the end of the game. Shohei Ohtani stood on the mound as Mike Trout approached the plate with two outs.

With a full count, Ohtani delivered the final blow, striking out Trout for the win. Team Japan rushed the mound, and the celebration began.

Ohtani was named the Most Valuable Player of the WBC. He batted a .435 average and had a 1.86 ERA while pitching.

The next WBC will be in 2026, but a host site has not yet been decided.