Japan survived a scare to beat Australia 4-3 at the World Baseball Classic on Sunday as the defending champions booked their place in the quarter-finals as Pool C winners. Japan thrashed Australia in pool play at the previous World Baseball Classic in 2023 but they found the cricket-mad country a different proposition this time around.

Japan is the defending WBC champion and has won its first two games, led by the best player in MLB and one of the top starting pitchers. It will be a heavy favorite in Sunday's game against Australia,

Japan and Australia both came into Sunday’s World Baseball Classic matchup with 2-0 records. Japan had already advanced out of Pool C into the knockout round while Australia needed a win over the Japanese or Korea on Monday to advance.

Masataka Yoshida's late home run triggered a comeback win for Samurai Japan over Australia on Sunday at the Tokyo Dome, where Emperor Naruhito ​made a rare appearance to watch the World Baseball Classic Pool C ‌match-up.

For nearly seven innings, one of the greatest upsets in international baseball history was in the making. With Japan having already qualified for the quarterfinals after Chinese Taipei defeated Korea earlier on Sunday,

The World Baseball Classic reaches a critical day with seven games that will go a long way in determining the teams that advance to the quarterfinals.