Riaan Amaqembu amabili, amele amazwe amabili anamandla emhlabeni we-baseball, angene enkundleni e-LoanDepot Park ngoLwesibili ebusuku ngefayela elilodwa ekhoneni ngalinye lenkundla. I-the united states wangena esuka endaweni efanele. Japan yayingaphesheya. Ababehamba phambili eqenjini ngalinye elinenkanyezi bekungabadlali ababili abahamba phambili emhlabeni.
Shohei Ohtani futhi UMike Trout, okaputeni, babephethe amafulege ezwe labo. Emasontweni amathathu edlule, babenjalo Izingelosi abalingani beqembu ekuqeqesheni ndawonye entwasahlobo. Bazoba ndawonye futhi e-Arizona ekupheleni kwesonto, beqhubeka namalungiselelo okugcina esizini ebalulekile yeziNgelosi. Kodwa ngoLwesibili bebeyizimbangi zomqhudelwano we-World baseball Classic, umdlalo omkhulu kunayo yonke empilweni yabo ye-baseball.
Iqhaza likaTrout ebusuku layaziwa zisuka nje. Kwaba kufana njalo. Ukushaya okwesibili nendawo ephakathi nendawo. U-Ohtani wayeyindaba ehlukile, engaqondakali. Lo mdlali oshaye izintambo ezimbili uphinde washaya isithathu njengomshayi oqokiwe waseJapan. Nokho, obekulindelwe kube yithuba lokuthi aqhamuke ezintini azodlala umdlalo usemlayini. Mhlawumbe ngisho ngokumelene neTrout.
Kwakuyithuba elimangalisayo. Cishe kuhle kakhulu ukuba yiqiniso. Futhi nokho kwenzeka ngo Ukuwina kweJapan ngo 3-2. U-Ohtani uqhamuke ku-bullpen yase-Japan enkundleni yesokunxele, umfaniswano wakhe ungcolile ngenxa yokuzama ukuhlukanisa umdlalo ophindwe kabili ngaphambili komdlalo, ngemuva nje kuka-10:30 ebusuku ngesikhathi saseMpumalanga ukuze avikele i-run eyodwa, abaphume abathathu ekutholeni umqhudelwano. Bekungokokuqala ngqa ukukhululeka komuntu osebenzisa isandla sokudla kusukela ngo-2016, ngaphambi kokujoyina i-Angels. Uphume phambili kwi-inning yesishiyagalolunye yeThimba lase-USA: UJeff McNeil, Ama-Mookie Betts kanye neTrout.
UMcNeil uqale i-inning ngokusebenza uhambo oluyisikhombisa. Isisindo saleso sikhathi sabonakala: uMcNeil wehla emugqeni, waphenduka ukuze amemeze emgodini wase-US. Kodwa umfutho wahwamuka ngokushesha. Ngemuva kwemidlalo emibili, ama-Betts aqala ukudlala kabili. Kungazelelwe, Ithimba lase-USA lase libhekene nelinye futhi umhlaba we-baseball – abalandeli, izikhulu zeligi kanye nabaphathi bethelevishini ngokufanayo – bathola i-matchup eyomele.
“Benginethemba kodwa bengingacabangi ukuthi kuzokwenzeka ngempela,” kusho u-Ohtani ngesiJapane emsakazweni weFS1.
U-Ohtani uqale ukungqubuzana ngesilayidi esisuka epuletini ukuze uthole ibhola elilodwa. Ebona u-Trout ediliza, u-Ohtani wakhetha ukuthi ibhola lakhe elisheshayo lisebenze libe inani elivumayo. Izigcawu ezine ezilandelayo zazingamabhola asheshayo: 100 mph, 100 mph, 100 mph, 102 mph. UTrout ujikijele kwelokuqala, wathatha elesibili ukuze athole ibhola, washaya elesithathu wabeka elesine ukuze impi ibale ngokugcwele.
U-Ohtani wabe esehamba nendlela aqala ngayo: isilayidi esingu-87 mph. Lona wabekwa ngokuphelele, isiteleka emngceleni kude Trout. Umdlali we-American League obaluleke kakhulu izikhathi ezintathu, i-Hall of Famer eqinisekile ngokubonakala kwepuleti le-playoff ye-career engu-15 kuphela, washwibeka futhi waphuthelwa ukuqeda i-bat ebaluleke kakhulu yomsebenzi wakhe. U-Ohtani wajikijela igilavu yakhe nesigqoko phansi ngesikhathi ozakwabo begijima bezomkhungatha.
“Akuvelanga ngendlela ebengifuna ngayo, kodwa, njengomlandeli we-baseball, ngicabanga ukuthi yilokho wonke umuntu abefuna ukukubona,” kusho uTrout. “Uphumelele u-Round 1.”
Ukuphumelela kuka-Ohtani kwenze iJapan yaphumelela ngo 7-0. Izwe libe ngelokuqala ukunqoba iWBC kathathu. I-US, evikela isicoco somqhudelwano, iqede ngo 5-2. U-Ohtani ngokumangazayo waqanjwa ngokuthi yi-MVP yomqhudelwano.
“Siyayihlonipha i-baseball yaseMelika, futhi ngicabanga ukuthi sisebenze kanzima sisebenzisa i-baseball yabo njenge-benchmark,” kusho u-Ohtani. “Siphumelele namuhla, kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi singathanda ukuphokophela phezulu nangaphezulu futhi senze konke okusemandleni ethu.”
Iqembu laseMelika lihalalisela u-Kyle Schwarber ngemuva kokuthi eshaye i-inning yesishiyagalombili yomdlalo womqhudelwano we-WBC. Kodwa umzamo wama-rally waseMelika awuphumelelanga.
(Marta Lavandier / Associated Press)
Amehlo amaningi eJapan abebheke kulo mdlalo. Umqhudelwano we-baseball odumile wezikole zamabanga aphezulu e-Koshien Stadium e-Osaka – ikhaya lama-Hanshin Tigers omthamo wabantu abangu-50,000 – ubuhanjelwe kancane. Abezindaba baseJapan baqagela ukuthi kungenxa yokuthi abantu bebesekhaya bebuka iqembu lesizwe. Ngesizathu esihle: abantu abayizigidi ezingama-62 – cishe ingxenye yabantu bezwe – babukele ukunqoba kweJapan iNingizimu Korea emdlalweni we-pool. Leyo nombolo ibingaphezu komdlalo we-World Series obukwe kakhulu. Ukushuba komdlalo wangoLwesibili kube kukhulu.
Iqembu lase-USA lalisemqondweni weqembu laseJapan kudala ngaphambi kokuthi umqhudelwano uqale. Ngo-Agasti, imenenja yaseJapane, u-Hideki Kuriyama, imenenja ye-Ohtani ne-Nippon-Ham Fighters ngaphambi kokuba asayine ne-Angels, waya e-United States ukuze athole ingxenye yohambo lokuhlola.
Endleleni, usebenzele ukuvikela impoqo ohlwini lwakhe: U-Ohtani, ithalenta lezindlela ezimbili u-Kuriyama aqeqeshelwe zona kusukela aphenduka iphrofayili.
U-Ohtani ubekhonya ku-Major League Baseball kumasizini amabili edlule, edlula noma yikuphi obekulindelwe kusukela efika evela e-Japan ngesikhathi ehlakulela inhlonipho ngomncintiswano. Ubuke umhlangano wangoLwesibili njengethuba elingcono kakhulu lokukhombisa ukuthi i-Japan isenamandla e-baseball esezingeni eliphezulu.
NgoLwesibili, umsubathi odume kakhulu waseJapan, isihlabani esingakalugubhi usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa lwama-30, udlulisele lowo mlayezo eqenjini lakhe emizuzwini embalwa ngaphambi kokungena enkundleni enkulumweni emfushane kodwa ebuhlungu.
“Kusuka kimi, into eyodwa nje,” kusho u-Ohtani. “Asiyeke ukubababaza. [Paul] I-Goldschmidt izoba yisisekelo sokuqala; uma ubheka isikhungo, uMike Trout ukhona; U-Mookie Betts usenkundleni yangaphandle. Kunabadlali abaziwa yinoma ngubani odlala i-baseball.
“Ngosuku olulodwa nje … uma ubathanda, awukwazi ukubedlula. Size lapha ukuzobedlula, sifike esicongweni. Ngolunye usuku, ake silahle ukubathanda kwethu bese sicabanga ngokuwina.”
U-Ohtani wayengumholi weqembu ongathandanga ukuphikiswa, kodwa kwakungeyena owayenolwazi oluningi lweligi noma ubuqhawe be-WBC. Lowo kwakunguYu Darvish, 36.
U-Ohtani uhlonishwe ngokusiza ukuqasha u-Darvish, owabamba iqhaza ku-WBC yakhe yokuqala ngo-2009 ngesikhathi eshaya into ecokeme emdlalweni wesicoco ngaphambi kokusindisa ekunqobeni iSouth Korea. U-Darvish wabe esekhetha ukuba ukuphela komdlali weligi enkulu ukuya ekhempini yokuqeqeshwa yaseJapan ngenyanga edlule ngokubika ekuziqeqesheni kwasentwasahlobo ukuze akhe umuzwa wokuzwana nabadlali abancane.
U-Pitcher Shohei Ohtani, ophakathi phezulu, ujabulela ngemuva kokuthi i-Japan ishaye i-United States ngo 3-2 kumdlalo wesicoco seWorld baseball Classic.
(Marta Lavandier / Associated Press)
UDarvish, njengo-Ohtani, ubetholakala ukuthi adlale ngoLwesibili ngemuva kokungena kuma-quarterfinal ngoLwesine. Nokho, iziNgelosi zazizovumela u-Ohtani, owayengakaze agxumeke izinsuku ezingaphansi kwezinhlanu zokuphumula, ukuba afake i-inning eyodwa nje kuphela, okumenza akhululeke.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iSan Diego Padres, yasusa uDarvish ukuthi agibele ngaphandle kwemikhawulo eyaziwayo. Bekulindeleke ukuthi aqale, kodwa ngokumangazayo iJapan ikhethe ukuqala uShota Imanaga odlala nxele esikhundleni umakadebona odlala kwesokudla.
U-Darvish uhambe waya ku-bullpen yase-Japan phakathi ne-inning yesihlanu ngoLwesibili. U-Ohtani wamlandela ngaphambi kokuqala kweyesithupha. Ukunyakaza kwavusa ukunaka. Isikhathi sase siphela e-US, futhi ama-pitchers amabili angcono kakhulu emhlabeni ayengase alinde.
Ngaleso sikhathi, iJapan yayihamba phambili ngo 3-1. U-Trea Turner wase-US uvule igoli ngenye i-run yasekhaya – okwesihlanu kwakhe emqhudelwaneni – ngaphandle kwe-Imanaga phezulu kwe-inning yesibili. Ama-run amahlanu asekhaya, amane awo abe semidlalweni emithathu yeTeam USA esigabeni somkhumulajezi, abophe irekhodi le-WBC.
Ukuhola kwakudlula. I-Japan ibophele amaphuzu emdlalweni owagijima yedwa u-Munetaka Murakami – i-slugger enikeze i-walk-off kabili ukuze ihlule i-Mexico kowandulela owamanqamu ngobusuku obudlule – ephuma kumqali waseMelika uMerrill Kelly ekugcineni kwesibili. Kamuva ku-inning, ngemuva kwesinxele seziNgelosi Aaron Loup esikhundleni sika-Kelly, u-Lars Nootbaar, umdlali wokuqala ongazalelwa e-Japan owake wadlala eqenjini lakhe lesizwe le-baseball, unikeze i-Japan i-2-1 ehamba phambili ngokuphuma kwe-RBI.
Ukugijima eyedwa ekhaya kuka-Kazume Okamoto ebhekene no-Kyle Freeland odlala nxele kuphindwe kabili i-majini ku-inning yesine. Kusuka lapho, amaqembu ashaya igoli kuma-innings amathathu kwaze kwaba ngowesishiyagalombili, lapho uDarvish ethatha indunduma.
Okuwukuphela kokuhlangenwe nakho kuka-Darvish emqhudelwaneni owinile wokuthatha konke kwaba ukuqala kwakhe okubi ku-Game 7 ye-2017 World Series for the Dodgers. Uyeke ama-run amahlanu ku-1⅔ innings. I-Dodgers yalahlekelwa, futhi uDarvish wayegqoke icala.
UDarvish, othe unenkinga yokufudumala, uphinde wadidizela ngoLwesibili. U-Kyle Schwarber unqume ukushoda kweQembu lase-USA wafinyelela kwelilodwa ngesikhathi eqhulula umgijimo wasekhaya eyedwa waya edekhini yesibili ekhiphe elilodwa. U-Turner wabe esekhetha. Kodwa uDarvish wagwema isiphithiphithi kulokhu. U-JT Realmuto uphumile kwathi uCedric Mullins wabaleka ukuze aqede usongo. Kwaqhuma umgodi waseJapane. Ukuhola kwahlala kuphelele ku-Ohtani.
Okwakudingeka u-Ohtani kwakuyizinkundla ezingu-14 zokwengeza enye into engakaze ibonwe ebhukwini lakhe. Akekho oshaye kakhulu ibhola, waphonsa inkundla ngokushesha noma wabhuquza ibhola elikude ku-WBC kuno-Ohtani. Ayikaze i-baseball yesimanje ibone ithalente elinjengaye. NgoLwesibili, ebukele umhlaba we-baseball, waphinda wakufakazela lokho. Waba nguMnuz March. Okulandelayo, uthemba, ithuba ngo-Okthoba noTrout.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kungaba unyaka wokugcina uma ngingadlula, noma ngisondele, kulokhu,” kusho u-Ohtani, “ekupheleni kwesizini.”
Umlobi we-Times uDylan Hernández ufake isandla kule ndaba.
