Shugo Maki, the joyful and exuberant heart of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, has assumed the mantle of the Samurai Japan mood-maker since busting out his dance moves when the team won the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
So with the fans at Tokyo Dome suddenly feeling anxious as Venezuela pushed the team’s back against the wall at the Premier12, it fell to Maki to lift everyone’s spirits.
Maki put the finishing touches on a sixth-inning rally with a grand slam that propelled Japan to a 9-6 win over Venezuela in a showdown between the top two teams at this year’s Premier12 on Friday night.