It appears Team Samurai’s defense of their World Baseball Classic title is off to a good start.
Led by Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, Team Japan took down Chinese Taipei 13-0 in a record-setting performance Friday morning at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
Ohtani proved he’s still the best player on the planet after he went 3-4 with five RBI’s, including a grand slam and a double. He belted a double in his first at-bat, and followed up with a grand slam and an RBI single in the second inning.
After a scoreless first inning by Team Japan, the floodgates opened when they scored 10 runs in the second inning — a WBC record for most runs in an inning. Ohtani’s five RBI’s in the second inning was also a WBC record for most RBI’s recorded by a player in a single inning.
“That was the inning that really decided the game,” Ohtani told reporters postgame. “After scoring the first few runs, we kept our focus and worked some walks, so I think we managed the game well from there. Overall, I think it was a good game.”
Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto got the start, throwing 2.2 innings of no-hit ball, while adding two strikeouts and three walks. Japan’s staff a as a whole was dominant, not allowing a hit through five innings.
Due to early termination rules in the WBC, the game was called after seven innings if a team is leading by 10+ runs.
Team Samurai will return to action on Saturday morning when it faces Team Korea. First pitch is set for 2 a.m. PT on FS1.