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On Monday night, Puerto Rico defeated the Netherlands in thrilling fashion, winning 4-3 in 11 innings after a walk-off sacrifice fly from Eddie Rosario.
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While Puerto Rico has locked in their second consecutive trip to the WBC championship game, who they face will be determined in tonight’s semifinal matchup between the USA and Japan. The USA will be looking to reach their first ever WBC championship, while Japan can add to their impressive trophy case. Japan won the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics, and they came in third place in 2013.
Japan got to the semifinal round by steamrolling the competition in Pool E. They went 3-0 in their games, beating the Netherlands 8-6, Cuba 8-5, and Israel 8-3. On the other side of the bracket, the USA provided plenty of drama in their journey to the semifinals. The USA defeated Venezuela 4-2, lost to Puerto Rico 6-5, and beat the Dominican Republic 6-3 in an epic win-or-go-home contest. Giancarlo Stanton hit a massive homer, and Adam Jones committed one of the sickest robberies you’ll ever see on a baseball diamond.
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In tonight’s pitching matchup, Tanner Roark will toe the rubber for the USA and Tomoyuki Sugano for Japan. This will be Roark’s second appearance in the 2017 WBC (first start), and I’m sure the righty is hoping that this outing will go a whole lot smoother. In Pool C play, Roark gave up three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out none in 1.1 innings of relief work against the Dominican Republic.
Sugano will be making his third start of the 2017 WBC, and he’s still looking for his first decision. After starts against Australia and Cuba, the right-hander has given up five runs on 11 hits and no walks while striking out 10 batters over 8.1 innings.
Now that the stage has been set, let’s breakdown all of the different ways you can watch tonight’s semifinal game between the USA and Japan.
USA vs. Japan Viewing Details
Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Time: 9:00 P.M. EST
Location: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
TV Channel: MLB Network
Spread: USA -1.5, O/U 8.5
How To Live Stream USA vs. Japan Online
Your best bet for watching the USA take on Japan via a live stream is through the MLB Network. Just plug in your cable or satellite information and you’re good to go.
You can also live stream the MLB Network online through DIRECTV NOW. DIRECTV offers a free seven-day trial, so you will receive a full week free before your paid membership begins. If you cancel your subscription within the seven day period, you will not be charged. DIRECTV NOW is available on Desktop, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast.
Watch USA vs. Japan On Phone, Tablet Or Mobile
If you can’t watch the WBC action on your TV or computer, the MLB Network has you covered with their At Bat app. The good news is that the app is available on a ton of different platforms, including iPhones, Androids, and Kindle Fires. The bad news is that the app will cost you $2.99 a month.
DIRECTV has a DIRECTV NOW app on the App Store and Google Play where you can watch MLB Network for free, using your seven-day trial. You must cancel it before the trial period ends.
