U.S. Faces Japan in World Baseball Classic Finals

Trea Turner of U.S. team in World Baseball Classic
Trea Turner hits a home run for the United States in its World Baseball Classic semifinal game against Cuba. (Image credit: Kyodo News via Getty Images)

The World Baseball Classic concludes tonight with a highly-anticipated finals matchup between Team USA and Japan airing live on FS1.

Japan, which won the first two WBC titles in 2006 and 2009, will face the tournament’s defending champions in Team USA, capping off a thrilling tournament in which both teams won come-from-behind games throughout the three-week, 20-team event.

Team USA defeated Cuba to advance to the finals, but it was a late-inning, comeback win over Venezuela in the quarterfinal round that galvanized the team’s march to the finals. Japan advanced to the finals in dramatic fashion, defeating Mexico on a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning. 

FS1 will air the USA-Japan game live beginning at 7 p.m. (ET). 

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.