Samurai Japan Begins World Baseball Classic Title Defense with Dominant 13-0 Win Samurai Japan launched its quest to defend its World Baseball Classic title with a commanding 13-0 victory over Chinese Taipei on Friday night. The matchup, featuring a roster led by superstar Shohei Ohtani and a host of Major League Baseball stars, showcased Japan’s offensive prowess from the outset. Ohtani, the team’s most iconic player, set the tone with a leadoff double in the first inning, but Chinese Taipei struggled to advance him past third base. The underdog team managed only a single run in the game, as Japan’s offense exploded in the second inning. The turning point came when Ohtani delivered a game-changing home run. After a sequence of walks and singles loaded the bases, Ohtani waited four pitches before launching a 2-1 curveball from starter Hao-Chun Cheng into the right-field seats. The blast, accompanied by Japan’s new matcha whisking celebration, accounted for four runs and marked the start of an historic inning. Manager Hirokazu Ibata praised the celebration, calling it a unifying gesture for the team. “I wish we could drink 10 or 20 teas per game,” he joked, referencing the tradition. The onslaught continued as Japan’s lineup kept producing. Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida drove in Seiya Suzuki with a double, and Munetaka Murakami followed with a single to plate Yoshida. The inning concluded with 10 runs, breaking the World Baseball Classic record for most runs in a single inning. Japan’s offensive surge also set a new benchmark for RBIs in an inning, with Ohtani contributing five. The dominance extended into the third inning, where Japan added three more runs. Kazuma Okamoto’s RBI single and a two-run hit from Sosuke Genda highlighted the team’s offensive depth.#world_baseball_classic #shohei_ohtani #hirokazu_ibata #samurai_japan #masataka_yoshida
