Three outs from a place in the final of the World Baseball Classic, the Mexican national team suffered a huge disappointment when Japan bounced back in the ninth inning to snatch a nail-biting 5-4 semi-final win.
The United States team, filled with all-star MLB sluggers, managed to make the final, downing Cuba 12-3 in a one-sided semi final.
But in the final game the American ball players were no match for their confident Japanese rivals who lifted the 2023 WBC crown, defeating Team USA 3-2.