The “classic” in World Baseball Classic was certainly verified on Monday night in a fantastic game, and epic finish, between Japan and Mexico in the tournament semifinals.
While Mexico led for most of the night, Japan refused to go away, chipping away at the lead until Munetaka Murakami eventually sealed the comeback victory with a walk-off base hit that scored two runs to win the game and send them into the finals against the United States.
For Fox Sports, Joe Davis continued to cement himself as the voice of baseball in the U.S. with his calls, including an epic one on the game-winning play.
"Cracked in the air…deep centerfield…Thomas on the move…it's off the wall…Ohtani's in to score…here comes the winning run…JAPAN TURNS IT AROUND ON ITS LAST BREATH!" https://t.co/Oi7p42eDnJ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 21, 2023
“Cracked in the air…deep centerfield…Thomas on the move…it’s off the wall…Ohtani’s in to score…here comes the winning run…JAPAN TURNS IT AROUND ON ITS LAST BREATH!” exclaimed Davis before letting Japan’s celebration and Mexico’s deflation tell the rest of the story.
If it’s excitement you crave, look no further than the Japanese TV call of the play, courtesy of Timothy Burke.
AS CALLED ON JAPANESE TV: pic.twitter.com/3zzrOXp0O5
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 21, 2023
Did we hear a couple “sayonara” in there???
Alas, the flip side of all that excitement would be the call on Imagen for the Mexican team. It’s not exactly like hearing a hometown call following a shocking loss, but you can certainly feel the sense of “what could have been.”
As called on Mexican TV: pic.twitter.com/GxK4F9Vqr2
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 21, 2023
If Monday was any indication, we’re in for some more great baseball on Tuesday in the WBC final, which means we’re also in for some fantastic calls from all over the world.
