The match featured Los Angeles Angels superstars Shohei Ohtani of Japan and Mike Trout of the US, as they squared off for the final at-bat.

Pitcher Ohtani came through for his country, throwing an 87.2 miles per hour ball with two outs that was too much for his team-mate Trout.

"I've seen Japan winning, and I just wanted to be part of it," said Ohtani, who was named most valuable player of the tournament.

"I really appreciate that I was able to have the great experience.

"As I say, the next generation, the kids who are playing baseball, I was hoping that those people would like to play baseball. 

"That would make me happy.

"I happened to be able to get the MVP.

"But this really proves that Japanese baseball can beat any team in the world."

The US took the lead in the second inning after Trea Turner hit a home run, which tied the record of the number of homers in a single WBC with five.

Japan bounced back during the same inning, with Munetaka Murami hitting a home run of his own before a Lars Nootbat groundout gave Japan a 2-1 lead.

Kazuma Okamoto then hit another home run that gave the Asian side some comfort at the bottom of the fourth.

Then, at the top of the eighth, Kyle Schwarber hit a home run that gave the US hope, but they were unable to score again.

The US will be disappointed that they failed to win back-to-back WBCs after they claimed the 2017 title.

Japan won the competition for the first time since 2009, and are the only nation to have won the tournament more than once.