WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL B - KOREA VS JAPAN

March 10, 2023

Hideki Kuriyama

Tokyo Dome

Team Japan

Postgame Press Conference

Japan 13, Korea 4

Q. Today you had a great offense, and the score was 13-4. What's in your mind?

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: Yes, finally we had nine-run difference, but the result is the same. We have to focus one by one. The important fact is we won. This is the most important.

Q. You gave up two runs in the third, but right after the bottom of the third, you got the go-ahead run.

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: Yes, baseball is always a difficult game as a manager, but all my players always concentrate to score or minimize runs. This effort led to tonight's result.

We still have things that we have to fix for tomorrow, though.

Q. Let's talk about the offense. When you have a big run, your seventh, eighth, ninth hitters did a great job. Is there anything you want to fix there?

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: Yes, the more you want to hit, the situation is getting tougher. I'm asking my players, try to hit the right pitches, try not to swing at the bad pitches. It's easier said than done.

Even though we scored 13, offense is always difficult. My hitters are always trying to do something extra for my team.

Q. Let's talk about the defense, Darvish, Imanaga, Udagawa, Matsui and Takahashi, you put five pitchers.

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: Yes, all of our five pitchers, they pitched well by using their strengths. Although we gave up some runs, we minimized their defense, and all the pitchers were adjusting so well.

Q. Can you tell us your starting pitcher for tomorrow?

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: Roki Sasaki will be our starting pitcher for tomorrow. To me, he looks fine, so I'm expecting him to pitch well.

Q. You scored right after you gave up a run. Men on first and second, first pitch at Nootbaar, there was a bunt attempt and there was a foul ball. What was your strategy?

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: I cannot say. I'm supposed to say anything.

Q. Let's talk about the momentum of the game. I think that Nootbaar gave us the huge momentum. How do you believe it for him?

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: I believe that all the reporters, you guys are feeling how he works well for Team Japan. He's always eager to play more than 100 percent, and his attitude gives us big momentum. I'm asking you to feel instead of I say something. He's a great player, though.

Q. The situation was so close. You put Imanaga in the top of the 4th. He pitched 11 innings one-two-three inning. I believe that was huge.

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: Well, the WBC tournament, the second starter is so important, I think. Although Imanaga is a starter, we put him as our second starter today. It's a totally different story than he is usually doing. But since last autumn when I selected him for Team Japan, I'm asking him for his role as second starter, and he did it. I'm so proud of him.

Q. You finally sent Yu Darvish as a starter for Team Japan. He gave up three runs in three innings. What's your impression?

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: Yes, he's such a great pitcher. Although he gave up three runs, his calmness is so great. He's got great velocity. It's weird to say that even that Darvish gave a run in such an international tournament. Although he's such a great pitcher, he gave up a couple runs, but this is part of the game of baseball.

Before the game started, like I mentioned, when I watched the big pitching when the game started, our starting pitcher was Darvish, and that was one of the -- sort of a dream, sort of one of my dreams.

Today's game meant a lot to me, and also I thank a lot to Yu Darvish, as well.

Q. You scored right after you gave up a run. I think offense and defense worked effectively, the combination.

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: Well, yes, you could say that. Well, especially for today's game, when we faced against Korea, they're always tough to compete. The result is we won, but yes, the third inning, yes, we scored right after we gave up a run. Yeah, that's a very big thing.

Q. Let's talk about Yoshida, the fifth hitter. He went 0-for last night, but he got a three-base hit today.

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: Yes, I'm not supposed to say individual players, but my middle hitters, 3, 4, 5 hole, especially for the 5th and the 6th hole, because they tended to have men on base whenever they have an at-bat. When I was a manager at the Fighters, Yoshida was always a tough opponent, and this is such -- Yoshida is such a great hitter, and once again, I felt the same way today, as well, and I thank to him.

Q. A while ago you mentioned to us that the momentum right after Darvish gave up a run. Today we played against Korea, the rival team, and I felt that the entire team was trying to eliminate Darvish. That's how I felt. What do you think?

HIDEKI KURIYAMA: Yes, me personally, I'm not supposed to say how I felt to my players, but like I said before, today I thank a lot to Yu Darvish. Well, yesterday I spoke with him personally, and I told him how much I thank him.

Baseball is such a difficult game. Even though you pitch with great command, sometimes you give up a run, you give up a hit. That's how the baseball game is. Darvish is such a statue of Team Japan. He's a great player, not only a pitcher but as a mentor of the team.

Although Yu gave up three runs at the third inning, I believe that our teammates tried to cover Darvish's give-up run.