How To Watch As USA Faces Japan With Women’s World Cup Title
Image credit: Jillian Albayati hit the first home run Ayami Sato has ever given up in international competition.
In one game, USA Baseball’s Women’s National Team could upend nearly two decades of domination.
In the past six Women’s World Cups, Madonna Japan has won the gold medal. But when Japan and Team USA face off this time, Team USA looks to have its best chance of upending the world order.
Japan had won 39 consecutive games before Team USA beat them 4-3 on Thursday.
If Japan comes back to win on Saturday, that loss will be a blip. Both teams had already clinched spots in the gold medal game before they played. A win for Japan will be its seven consecutive gold medal. Team USA won the first two Women’s World Cups in 2004 and 2006, but Japan has won every World Cup since.
But if Team USA does pull off a win today at 3 p.m. ET, it will have made a convincing case that for the first time in two decades, women’s baseball supremacy resides in the United States.
Team USA rolled through round-robin play with a 5-0 record. That comes after Team USA outscored its opponents 71-2 during a 5-0 run through last year’s World Cup Qualifier.
For anyone wanting to watch, the game will be streamed for free at MLB.com and on MLB.tv.
There already has been a changing of the guard of sorts for Team Japan. Ayami Sato, the most dominant pitcher in women’s international baseball history, made the start in the final game of the round-robin series against Team USA. After going five innings just two days ago, it’s unlikely she can be used extensively on Saturday.
Team USA has a deep lineup. Jillian Albayati hit a three-run home run off Sato on Thursday, which was the first home run Sato had ever allowed in 70 innings of World Cup play.
Albayati will be on the mound facing Miyu Simizu in the championship game. Albayati has thrown 1.2 scoreless innings in relief during the tournament. Shimizu is 0-0, 3.71, having allowed three runs in 5.2 innings in a start earlier in the tournament.
Mexico will face Canada in the bronze medal game today as well.
