Yamamoto to Start for Samurai Japan against Venezuela

Miami, March 12 (Jiji Press)–Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be the starting pitcher for the Japanese national baseball team, nicknamed Samurai Japan, in its quarterfinal game against Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Saturday. The pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of U.S. Major League Baseball will take the mound at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata told a press conference Thursday. “I hope he goes as far as he can,” the skipper added. The Japanese team held a practice session at LoanDepot Park the same day. Yamamoto’s Dodgers teammate and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani took the mound for pitching practice in a simulated game format, facing batters Shota Morishita of the Hanshin Tigers in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, or NPB, and Yuhei Nakamura of the NPB’s Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Yamamoto worked on conditioning in the bullpen. “I’m feeling great,” he said. “My form is getting better and better, so I can take the mound with more confidence.” The upcoming game will likely be Yamamoto’s last appearance at this year’s WBC. He will face star sluggers on the Venezuelan team such as Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves in the MLB, who hit 41 home runs and stole 74 bases in 2023, and Luis Arraez of the MLB’s San Francisco Giants, who has won three consecutive batting titles. “(Venezuela) has strong players at the top of the batting lineup,” Ibata said at the press conference. “It’s important to retire them and the leadoff batter in each inning.” Ohtani said that Venezuela has a highly skilled pitching roster in addition to a strong batting lineup. Ranger Suarez of the Boston Red Sox in the MLB, who notched 12 wins for two straight years, will start for the South American country in the quarterfinal match. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]