In the semifinals of baseball's WBC = World Baseball Classic, Japan defeated Mexico 6-5 to advance to the finals for the first time in three tournaments. On the morning of the holiday, the archipelago was in full swing, and in Kumamoto City, the hometown of Munetaka Murakami, who hit a two-base hit to win the bye, there were voices of joy and expectations for his success in the final on the 3nd.
Kumamoto, the hometown of "Mura God" is also delighted
A man in his 30s said, "I'm glad that you scored the right goal even though you haven't performed well so far, and I hope you will play your last match to win the championship."
A woman in her 30s said, "It was cool because my previous slumps were like a lie, and I want you to hit one big shot tomorrow and lead Japan to victory. Murakami is the pride of Kumamoto. My expectations have risen, so I'd like to see the final as well."
A man in his 20s who was cheering at the bar said, "It was a great emotional development, and it reminded me of the time when Ichiro hit the ball after he was not doing well in the WBC in the past. I'm looking forward to one shot of 'Muragami' tomorrow."
A woman in her 1s who attended the same high school as Murakami said, "I cheered with Kyushu Gakuin Power, and I was so excited that I was moved to tears. I will definitely watch tomorrow's final secretly at work."
Cheering from Aki Sasaki's hometown Iwate Rikuzentakata
In Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, the hometown of starting pitcher Aki Sasaki, a public viewing venue was set up at a commercial facility, and many people gathered. When Sasaki made a good start, striking out with a fastball over 160 kilometers, the crowd cheered enthusiastically. However, in the fourth inning, when Sasaki hit a three-run home run to take a three-run lead, the venue turned around and fell silent.
When Japan won the bye in the ninth inning thanks to a two-base hit by Shohei Ohtani from Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, the crowd stood up and cheered in unison.
Tomoyuki Murakami, who coached Sasaki as the coach of the youth sports team to which Sasaki belonged when he was in elementary school, said, "I was able to feel the fear of one pitch again on the big stage, and I think it was a valuable experience for Sasaki, so I am looking forward to his future growth Japan.
Public viewing venues in Minato-ku, Tokyo are in full swing
At the public viewing venue set up in Tokyo, about 400 fans gathered to cheer from Japan. When Masanao Yoshida hit the tying three-run home run in the seventh inning, the crowd cheered and gave high-fives to the people around them.
After that, Mexico won the game, but in the ninth inning, Munetaka Murakami's two-base hit made the two players win the bye, and the fans at the venue were filled with excitement.
A woman in her 20s said, "I was in a state of depression because I had seen Murakami depressed in the past matches, so I cried the last time I batted."
A woman in her 30s said, "The moment Murakami hit the ball for the last time, I got goosebumps. I want them to win the final without giving up until the end."