Czech Republic nearly upset Japan; reigning champion breaks stalemate with grand slam in eighth inning

Through the first seven innings of Tuesday's game between Czech Republic and Japan, it appeared we might witness one of the biggest upset in Classic history.

This highly underrated team kept the defending champion Japan scoreless until the eighth inning at Tokyo Dome, marking the first time since 2013 that Samurai Japan had been shut out through seven innings in the Classic.

However, Japan finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth inning, when Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami blasted a grand slam, ultimately helping Samurai Japan secure a 9-0 victory and finish the group stage with four wins. This grand slam was the record-breaking fifth of this tournament, surpassing the 2023 record. The other four were hit by Shohei Ohtani, South Korea's Bo Gyeong Moon, Dominican Republic's Fernando Tatis Jr., and Taiwan's Stuart Fairchild.

This final Group C match was essentially inconsequential. Czech Republic (0-4) had already been eliminated, while Japan had already begun looking ahead to the quarterfinals. Yet even in defeat, everything that unfolded at Tokyo Dome that night will be long remembered by the Czech team and their supporters.

After conceding 30 runs and scoring only 5 across their first three Classic games, Czech Republic managed to stifle Japan's lineup for most of this game. With Ohtani and Seiya Suzuki resting, Japan's hitters struggled against Czech starter Ondřej Satoria. This right-handed pitcher, whose fastball barely exceeds 80 mph, gained fame in Japan for striking out Ohtani in the 2023 Classic. In this game, he pitched 4.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, including striking out Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto in the second inning.

Satoria had indicated this would be his final appearance for the Czech national team. When he was replaced in the fifth inning, the Tokyo Dome crowd stood and applauded, and his teammates embraced him. Walking toward the dugout, he deliberately paused to look around the Dome, wanting to etch this moment in memory.

His reliever Michal Kovala successfully navigated a bases-loaded threat in the seventh inning, preserving the team's shutout. Japan had not lost a Classic game in Tokyo since March 9, 2009, against South Korea. Since March 17, 2013, against Puerto Rico, they had also never been shut out through seven innings in the Classic.

This championship favorite finally found a breakthrough in the eighth inning, with Ukyo Shuto and Munetaka Murakami hitting consecutive home runs, scoring nine runs in the inning. Before his final at-bat, Murakami had only 2 hits in 14 plate appearances with four strikeouts. But he seized on a pitch from Czech left-hander Ryan Johnson, launching it 425 feet straight into the center-field stands.

Japan's four pitchers—Hiroto Takahashi, Hiroya Miyagi, Yumeto Kanemaru, and Koki Kitayama—combined for 14 strikeouts, allowing only two hits to complete the shutout.

Yet the protagonists of the game were the fighting spirit displayed by the Czech team. After the final out, Satoria emerged onto the field again, and over 40,000 spectators stood to applaud him.

Japan's next game will be at 9 AM Beijing time on Sunday at loanDepot park in Miami. Their opponent in the quarterfinals will be the winner of tomorrow's match between Dominican Republic and Venezuela, both teams currently holding 3-0 records.