Shohei Ohtani crushed a grand slam and RBI single for five RBIs in Samurai Japan's dominant 13-0 mercy-rule win over Chinese Taipei in the 2026 World Baseball Classic opener at Tokyo Dome, highlighted by a tournament-record 10-run second inning.
Samurai Japan opened the 2026 World Baseball Classic with a commanding 13-0 victory over Chinese Taipei on Friday night at Tokyo Dome, invoking the mercy rule after seven innings. The win followed days of fan excitement and strong pre-game vibes at the venue.
Shohei Ohtani wasted no time shining before home fans. In his first at-bat, he ripped a 117.1 mph double down the right-field line off starter Hao-Chun Cheng but was stranded at third.
The second inning exploded with bases loaded and Ohtani at the plate. He launched Cheng's 2-1 curveball for a grand slam into the right-field stands, sparking a 10-run frame—the most in WBC history. "I knew it was going to leave the park right after I hit it," Ohtani said. "It’s important to score first, so I really wanted to drive in at least a run."
Ohtani capped the inning with an RBI single later, matching the WBC single-frame RBI record with five. "That was the inning that really decided the game," he said. "After scoring the first few runs, we kept our focus and worked some walks."
As he circled the bases after the grand slam, Ohtani joined the team's new matcha-whisking celebration, a morale-boosting gesture that carried over from warm-ups. Japan now eyes the quarterfinals in Miami and a potential fourth WBC title.
