The dream matchup that everybody wanted to see actually happened in the most dramatic way possible.
Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout in the ninth inning to decide the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and it was Ohtani getting the best of his Los Angeles Angels teammate to secure a 3-2 win for Japan over the United States, winning the championship for Japan.
You could not have possibly written up a better script for the moment.
The two best players in baseball, long-time teammates, going against each other in a one-run game with two outs in the ninth inning with a championship on the line.
Ohtani, who only pitched one inning in relief to close out the game, was at his absolute best in the at-bat throwing several 100 MPH fastballs, before finishing the at-bat with a filthy slider that Trout swung right through.
Source: Yard Baker