Team Japan defeated Team Europe in the first game of the Global Baseball Games series in Osaka on Wednesday, 5-0. The hosts jumped to an early lead after two first-inning runs and never looked back, with the Japanese pitching staff limiting the tourists to just six hits in front of 28,000 fans.
The two-game series, last played in 2015, matches a roster of Europeans against Japan’s national team, winners of Olympic gold in Tokyo and 2023’s World Baseball Classic. While stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are missing on account of their MLB obligations, Japan’s roster still includes stars like slugger Munetaka Murakami and pitching phenom Shunpeita Yamashita.
Team Europe’s roster includes players from European champions Spain alongside Czechia, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, with Rhiner Cruz and Engel Beltre of Spain and Italy’s Alex Liddi providing MLB experience.
The second and final game in the series is scheduled for Thursday (11:00 CET).