Ohtani Helps Get Samurai Japan Off to Stellar Start in WBC Opener; Japan Steamrolls Taiwan 13-0

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:03 JST, March 7, 2026

Samurai Japan steamrolled Taiwan 13-0 to open its bid for back-to-back World Baseball Classic championship at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on Friday night.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani had three hits — including a grand slam — and five RBIs, and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, another Dodgers star, threw 2⅔ innings without allowing a hit.

Ohtani, the team’s leadoff hitter, hit the grand slam off Taiwan starter Hao-Chun Cheng in the top of the second inning to ignite Japan’s offensive. Another three runs in the third inning widened the lead. In total, Samurai Japan racked up 13 base hits.

In contrast, Japan’s five pitchers allowed only one base hit. They had eight strikeouts combined by the end of the game, which came in the seventh inning thanks to the WBC mercy rule.

Samurai Japan was to play South Korea on Saturday night. They are then set to face Australia on Sunday and the Czech Republic on Tuesday in Pool C action.

The top two teams in each of four pools will advance to the quarterfinals in the United States.