MLB Opening Day is still over a week away but several of baseball's biggest names will be in action on Tuesday – and Shohei Ohtani cannot wait.
The final of the World Baseball Classic will pit Ohtani's Japan against the might of defending champions the United States.
With Ohtani planning to hit and pitch in relief as he ramps up his preparations for the new season, all eyes will be on his potential matchup with Los Angeles Angels team-mate Mike Trout, the Team USA captain.
"It's not only Mike Trout, but one through nine in that order is filled with superstars, household names," Ohtani said.
"I'm just excited to face that lineup. It's a great thing for Japanese baseball."
Ohtani was speaking after Japan's dramatic 6-5 comeback win over Mexico that booked their spot in the final.
In an apparent nod to the Angels' eight-year absence from the MLB playoffs – spanning his entire career – Ohtani said: "It's been a while since I've played in a win-or-lose game, in a playoff atmosphere."
Munetaka Murakami, a Japanese Triple Crown winner last year, clinched Japan's victory with a walk-off double at the bottom of the ninth.
"It was the best, epic," said Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida, while Mexico manager Benji Gil graciously added: "Japan advances, but the world of baseball won tonight."
That is still not enough for Ohtani, though, as the two-way superstar said: "Obviously, it's a big accomplishment to get to the championship series.
"But there's a big difference from being in first and second, so I'm going to do all I can to get that first place."
MLB: Dodgers knock Braves out of playoff spot
The Los Angeles Dodgers got a three-run homer from Freddie Freeman and a combined four-hit shutout from Yoshinobu Yamamoto and four relievers to hand the Atlanta Braves a potentially costly 9-0 loss on Monday.
Making his second start following a near three-month absence caused by a strained shoulder, Yamamoto scattered four hits and two walks in four innings. The Braves didn't record a hit against Evan Phillips (4-1), Blake Treinen, Daniel Hudson and Brent Honeywell the rest of the way to fall one game back of the New York Mets for the National League's final wild card.
The Mets came through with a 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Starling Marte's run-scoring single in the 10th inning.
Shohei Ohtani knocked in two runs to help Los Angeles split this four-game series and move within a game of the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL's best record. The superstar slugger finished 0 for 4, however, and remained at 47 home runs and 48 stolen bases as he attempts to become MLB's first 50-50 player in a season.
The Dodgers didn't get a hit off Atlanta's Max Fried until the fifth inning but still managed to manufacture a run following a lead-off walk to Miguel Rojas in the third. Rojas advanced to second on a groundout, stole third and scored when Fried uncorked a wild pitch.
Tommy Edman collected Los Angeles' initial hit with a ground-rule double to begin the fifth and scored on Rojas' single. After a hit batter and a fly ball advanced Rojas to third, he came home on Ohtani's fielder's choice grounder for a 3-0 advantage.
Fried (9-10) yielded just two hits and struck out seven in six innings despite being touched for three runs.
The Dodgers put the game away with a six-run seventh inning capped by the ex-Brave fan favourite Freeman's opposite-field homer.
After three walks by Atlanta reliever Daysbel Hernandez loaded the bases, Ohtani reached on a fielder's choice that plated Rojas for a 4-0 cushion. Mookie Betts brought in another run with a sacrifice fly and Teoscar Hernandez delivered an RBI single in front of Freeman's blast.
Brewers trim magic number to two with win over Phillies
William Contreras and Joey Ortiz each drove in two runs to back a solid start from Aaron Civale as the Milwaukee Brewers moved closer to capturing the NL Central with a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Brewers' fourth victory in five games reduced their magic number to two to claim their third division title in four years. Milwaukee also closed within three games of the NL-leading Phillies in the standings.
Civale (5-2) scattered seven hits and struck out six while limiting Philadelphia to one run in five-plus innings. Colin Rea closed out the win with 2 2/3 scoreless innings to notch his first career MLB save.
Contreras gave Milwaukee a 2-0 lead with a third-inning double off Ranger Suarez that brought in Jackson Chourio and Blake Perkins, who reached via a walk and single, respectively.
The Brewers extended the margin in the fourth when ex-Phil Rhys Hoskins walked, advanced to third on Sal Frelick's double and scored on a sacrifice fly from Ortiz.
Suarez (12-7) lasted five innings and allowed three runs despite giving up just four hits and fanning five.
Brandon Marsh homered in the fifth for the Phillies' lone run off Civale, but Milwaukee scored twice in the sixth to increase their lead further.
Ortiz knocked in Frelick with a triple to put the Brewers up 4-1 before crossing the plate on Brice Turang's single.
Philadelphia got a run back in the top of the seventh when Bryson Stott singled and later scored on Kyle Schwarber's two-out single. The Brewers countered in their half of the inning, however, when Perkins singled and stole two bases before coming home on Gary Sanchez's sac fly.
Manzardo's homer lifts Guardians over Twins
Kyle Manzardo's go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning rallied the Cleveland Guardians to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins in the opener of a key four-game series between American League Central contenders.
Cleveland overcame an early 3-0 deficit to earn its MLB-leading 40th comeback victory of the season, which increased the Guardians' lead atop the AL Central to five games over Kansas City.
The Royals were handed a 7-6 loss by the charging Detroit Tigers, who closed within 1 1/2 games of struggling Minnesota for the AL's final wild card. The Twins have lost seven of 10 and are 9-18 since Aug. 18.
Minnesota was clinging to a 3-2 lead when Josh Naylor led off the bottom of the eighth with a double off Twins reliever Griffin Jax. Two batters later, Manzardo clubbed the first pitch he saw from Jax into the right field seats to put the Guardians ahead.
Emmanuel Clase then retired the side in order in the ninth to record his 46th save, tying a Cleveland franchise season record.
The Twins got all of their runs in the third inning after loading the bases with one out on a Carlos Correa double and two walks issued by Cleveland starter Matthew Boyd. Correa scored the game's first run on a passed ball by Guardians' catcher Bo Naylor, and Byron Buxton knocked in two more with a single for a 3-0 advantage.
Minnesota's Pablo Lopez held Cleveland scoreless until the fifth, when he hit Brayan Rocchio with a pitch and allowed a double to Angel Martinez. Andres Gimenez followed with a single to drive in the Guardians' first run.
Lopez issued two walks around a Will Brennan single to allow Cleveland to inch closer in the seventh on Martinez's bases-loaded single which brought in Manzardo.
Martinez finished 3 for 4, while Brennan and Jose Ramirez each had two hits for the Guardians.
Lopez pitched 6 1/3 innings and permitted two runs on eight hits.
Judge hits MLB-leading 53rd homer as Yankees beat Red Sox
Aaron Judge has once again found his power stroke.
Judge hit his major league-leading 53rd home run to help the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Sunday.
Judge's two-run homer travelled 445 feet and bounced off the glass window of a restaurant beyond the centre field fence at Yankee Stadium.
It marked the slugger's second home run in three games following a career-high 16-game homer-less streak.
Gleyber Torres also homered for the Yankees (87-63), who took three of four games from the Red Sox to open a three-game lead atop the AL East over the second-place Baltimore Orioles.
The Red Sox (75-75), meanwhile, dropped 4 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the AL's final wild-card spot.
Tyler O’Neill hit a two-run homer off Yankees starter Carlos Rodón for his 31st home run of the season and sixth in the last nine games.
Those were the only runs permitted by Rodón, who yielded six hits over 5 1/3 innings to earn his career-best 15th win.
Phillies top Mets on Realmuto's walk-off single
For the second day in a row the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies rallied late, winning 2-1 on J.T. Realmuto's walk-off single in the ninth inning to hand the New York Mets another discouraging defeat.
The game was scoreless until Tyrone Taylor homered in the top of the eighth inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
The Phillies responded with Buddy Kennedy's RBI double in the bottom of the eighth, and won it an inning later on Realmuto's game-ending single off Edwin Díaz with two outs for his sixth career walk-off hit.
Philadelphia (90-59) reached the 90-win mark for the second year in a row by winning the final two games of the three-game series with New York after rallying for a 6-4 victory on Saturday.
Adding to the Mets' woes, All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor left the game in the second inning with back discomfort.
Lindor, who has been instrumental to New York's play-off push, also left Friday's game with low back soreness, and is scheduled to get an MRI on Monday.
In a bit of good news for the Mets (81-68), the Atlanta Braves later lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving New York tied with Atlanta for the NL's final wild card-spot.
Dodgers use seven-run ninth inning to beat Braves
The Los Angeles Dodgers scored seven runs in the ninth inning - all with two outs - to beat the Atlanta Braves 9-2.
Mookie Betts started the ninth-inning outburst with a tiebreaking single and Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run single.
The Dodgers then poured it on with Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman and Max Muncy hitting consecutive home runs.
Los Angeles' big ninth started against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, who had not allowed an earned run since June 16 - a span of 35 1/3 innings.
Shohei Ohtani was 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored for the Dodgers (88-61), who own a two-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League's No. 2 seed.
Matt Olson and Travis d'Arnaud drove in runs for the Braves (81-68), who are tied with the Mets with 13 games remaining.
MLB:Braves' Sale shuts down Ohtani in MLB-best 17th victory
Chris Sale pitched six strong innings to become the first 17-game winner in the majors and Matt Olson drove in four runs to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 10-1 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night.
Sale (17-3), who hasn't been charged with a loss since June 27, became the first player in Braves franchise history to allow no more than two earned runs in 17 straight starts, passing Hall of Famer Greg Maddux's previous record of 16 starts. He also surpassed Padres starter Dylan Cease for most strikeouts in the NL this season with 219.
Atlanta is now a season-high 14 games over .500 and pulled even with the Mets for the final NL wild-card spot. New York lost to the Phillies 6-4 on Saturday night.
Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 2 with a walk and has stalled in his quest to be the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, going 0 for 6 in his last two games since hitting his major league-best 47th home run on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs.
Atlanta scored six runs in the sixth inning, which featured Olson's bases-loaded double and RBIs from Whit Merrifield and Michael Harris II.
Harper’s blasts rally Phillies
Bryce Harper homered twice, Cal Stevenson hit a two-run, go-ahead double in the seventh and made a run-saving, highlight-reel catch in the eighth and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to cool off the New York Mets with a 6-4 victory.
J.T. Realmuto added an RBI double for the Phillies, who have won 10 of 13 and lead the Mets by eight games in the division. The teams will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday afternoon before the Mets host the Phillies for four games from Sept. 19-22.
Starling Marte singled, tripled and drove in three runs and Luisangel Acuña had a pair of singles in his major-league debut for the Mets, who lost for just the third time in the last 15 games. New York dropped into a tie with Atlanta for the final wild card spot in the National League.
With the Phillies trailing 4-0, Harper launched the first of his two drives off starter Luis Severino with one out in the fourth, a 397-foot opposite-field drive off an 85-mph changeup. He pulled Philadelphia within 4-3 in the sixth with a two-run shot off an 87-mph slider that came on a 3-2 count. The two-time NL MVP, who hadn't homered since Aug. 9, has 28 home runs on the year.
Philadelphia went ahead in the seventh. Danny Young surrendered a pair of singles to Bryson Stott and Realmuto to start the frame, with both advancing on Brandon Marsh’s sacrifice bunt.
Reed Garrett relieved and struck out pinch-hitter Weston Wilson before Stevenson clubbed a 3-2, 92-mph cutter to the wall in right to score Stott and Realmuto.
Adames stars as Brewers outslug Diamondbacks
Willy Adames hit a grand slam as part of a two-homer night, Garrett Mitchell added a two-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 15-8.
Milwaukee's magic number to win the NL Central is down to 3.
Arizona still has sole possession of the second NL wild-card spot, but is just one game ahead of the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets with 14 games to play.
The Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the first on William Contreras' sacrifice fly that scored Brice Turang, who reached on a leadoff walk. They kept their advantage when Sal Frelick robbed Corbin Carroll of a solo homer, leaping to reach over the fence and make the catch.
Milwaukee scored seven runs in the second inning, all with two outs.
Brandon Pfaadt retired the first two batters of the second before the next seven batters reached base. Turang and Jackson Chourio hit back-to-back RBI singles, Contreras walked to load the bases, Garrett Mitchell walked to force in a run and then Adames launched a sweeper into the left field seats for an 8-0 lead.
Adames had five RBIs, pushing his NL leading total to 107. Mitchell reached base five times, including three walks. Contreras hit a two-run homer in the ninth to make it 15-8.
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