Australia defeated Taiwan 3-0 in the opening game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome. Home runs by Robbie Perkins and Travis Bazzana powered the win. The match drew over 40,000 fans, mostly cheering for Taiwan.
On March 5, 2026, Australia secured a 3-0 victory over Taiwan in the Pool C opener of the World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome. This win builds on Australia's rising profile in international baseball, following their quarterfinal run three years ago after upsetting South Korea.
The game unfolded before a crowd of over 40,000 at Tokyo Dome, with the majority clad in blue supporting Taiwan. Fans sang songs, blew whistles, and played trumpets to rally their team. In Taiwan's first at-bat, U.S.-born Stuart Fairchild smashed a long shot just outside the foul pole, nearly lifting the stadium's roof.
Australia struck first in the fifth inning when Robbie Perkins hit a two-run home run off Taiwan reliever Chen Po-yu. They added to their lead in the seventh with a solo homer from Travis Bazzana. Taiwan suffered a setback in the sixth when captain Chen Chieh-hsien was hit on the hand by a pitch and forced to leave the game.
Pool C also features South Korea, the Czech Republic, and defending champion Japan, who face Taiwan on Friday. The 20-team tournament's pool stage spans Japan, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. mainland, with quarterfinals moving to Miami and Houston.
