Fans arrived to the Tokyo Dome and were seated more than 90 minutes before first pitch, before getting what they paid for in the second inning. Yuichi Yamazaki / AFP via Getty Images
March 6, 2026Updated 8:39 am EST
TOKYO — Shohei Ohtani blasted a grand slam as part of a 10-run outburst for Samurai Japan to begin its World Baseball Classic title defense on Friday evening. With the weight of a nation’s expectations and a stadium full of fans there to see him hit, Ohtani delivered — breaking a scoreless tie in the second inning with the slam, en route to a seven-inning, 13-0 Japan win over Chinese Taipei.
The two-time World Series champion was out in front of a hanging curveball from Chinese Taipei starting pitcher H.C. Chang, but still muscled it over the fence as a crazed crowd celebrated their countryman giving them exactly what they’d paid for.
SHOHEI OHTANI GRAND SLAM! #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC pic.twitter.com/z0BXjlYInF — World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 6, 2026
SHOHEI OHTANI GRAND SLAM! #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC pic.twitter.com/z0BXjlYInF
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 6, 2026
His grand slam in the second inning wasn’t quite as visually spectacular, clearing the right field wall by only a few feet. But it was certainly far more meaningful. The Samurai Japan superstar had already laced a double on the first pitch of the game and had an RBI single later in the second inning, making him a triple shy of the cycle before the third. He finished 3-for-5 with a homer and five RBIs.
Ohtani picked up right where he left off in the WBC after carrying his countrymen to a championship in 2023. In that tournament, he hit .435, with eight RBIs, while pitching to the tune of a 1.86 ERA over 9 2/3 innings. He won’t be on the mound in this World Baseball Classic.
The Japanese will play Korea (1-0) in their second game on Saturday, followed a matchup with Australia (2-0) on Sunday. They’ll close Pool C on Tuesday evening against Czechia (0-2).
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Sam Blum is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Los Angeles Angels and Major League Baseball. Before joining The Athletic, he was a sports reporter for the Dallas Morning News. Previously, he covered Auburn for AL.com and the University of Virginia for The Daily Progress in Charlottesville.
