Trending Now - Japan and Britain Shine With Record Wins in WBC Showdown

WHO:

Shohei Ohtani, captain of Team Japan

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, starting pitcher for Japan

Munetaka Murakami, player for Japan

Masataka Yoshida, player for Japan

Seiya Suzuki, player for Japan

Hirokazu Ibata, manager of Team Japan

Hao-Chun Cheng, starting pitcher for Chinese Taipei

Hao-Jiu Tseng, manager of Chinese Taipei

Timothée Chalamet, actor present at the game

Bad Bunny, pop singer present at the game

Vojtech Menšík, player for Czechia

Curtis Mead, player for Australia

Pavel Chadim, manager of Czechia

Dave Nilsson, manager of Australia

WHAT:

Japan defeated Chinese Taipei 13-0 in the opening game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic on March 6, 2026.

Ohtani hit a grand slam in the second inning, contributing to a record-setting 10 runs in that inning.

Japan set the record for most runs in a single inning in World Baseball Classic history, surpassing the previous record of nine runs.

Ohtani recorded five RBIs in a single inning, setting a WBC record.

Japan scored three additional runs in the third inning.

Australia won against Czechia 5-1 in their opening game of the tournament.

Curtis Mead hit a three-run home run for Australia.

Czechia took an early lead with a sacrifice fly by Vojtech Menšík.

WHERE:

Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan

Daikin Park, Houston, Texas, USA

Czechia (Czech Republic)

Australia

WHEN:

March 6, 2026: Japan vs. Chinese Taipei

March 6, 2026: Australia vs. Czechia

March 7, 2026: Czechia vs. Chinese Taipei at 10 p.m. ET

March 7, 2026: Japan vs. Korea at 5 a.m. ET

WHY:

Japan aimed to defend their title after winning the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Ohtani emphasized the importance of scoring first to gain momentum.

HOW:

Ohtani hit a 2-1 curveball from Hao-Chun Cheng for his grand slam.

Japan's offensive strategy included a combination of power hitting and small ball tactics.

The team utilized a new celebration called the "matcha whisking" after scoring.

In an impressive display of skill, Japan defeated Chinese Taipei 13-0 in the opening game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome on March 6. Shohei Ohtani, the captain of Team Japan, made headlines by hitting a grand slam in the second inning, contributing to a record-setting ten runs during that inning, which also marked the most runs ever scored in a single inning in World Baseball Classic history. Ohtani's performance included five RBIs in that inning, setting yet another WBC record, while Japan added three more runs in the third. Meanwhile, in another opening game, Australia triumphed over Czechia with a score of 5-1, highlighted by Curtis Mead's three-run home run. Today, Czechia will face Chinese Taipei at 10 p.m. ET, followed by Japan's matchup against Korea at 5 a.m. ET tomorrow.