"In the second inning of Japan's WBC opener against Chinese Taipei on Friday at the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani smacked a hanging curve a few feet over the right-field wall for a grand slam, triggering an offensive onslaught that resulted in a 13-0 victory."
"In 2023, Ohtani hit and pitched Japan to the WBC title, batting .435 with eight RBIs and allowing only two earned runs in 9 2/3 innings on the mound. This year, he will only bat, saving his pitching for the Dodgers, who begin their quest for a third consecutive World Series title in three weeks."
"Ohtani led off the game with a double and singled in his second at-bat of the second inning, when Japan put up a WBC-record 10 runs. He added a run-scoring single in the third inning, giving him five runs batted in."
Shohei Ohtani returned to World Baseball Classic competition, this time as a batter rather than pitcher. In Japan's opening game against Chinese Taipei at the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani delivered a grand slam in the second inning off a hanging curve, sparking Japan's offensive explosion that resulted in a 13-0 victory. He finished with five RBIs, including a leadoff double and two singles. Unlike the 2023 WBC where he both pitched and batted, Ohtani is focusing exclusively on hitting this year to preserve his pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series defense. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 2025 World Series MVP, started for Japan, throwing 2⅔ scoreless innings.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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