Shohei Ohtani doubled on the first pitch of the game, then hit a go-ahead grand slam and an RBI single in a 10-run second inning to lead defending champion Japan over Taiwan 13-0 Friday night in its World Baseball Classic opener.
A triple shy of a cycle at the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani was denied on a leaping catch by first baseman Nien-Ting Wu in the fourth.
The game was called after seven innings under a tournament mercy rule. Yu Chang had the only hit for Taiwan (0-2), a leadoff single in the sixth off Koki Kitayama.
With Japan the visiting team, Ohtani homered to right on a low, outside curveball from loser Hao-Chun Cheng, a 102.4 mph drive that traveled 368 feet. The half-inning lasted 28 minutes.
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Kazuma Okamoto hit an RBI single in a three-run third off Tzu-Chen Sha.
Winner Yoshinobu Yamamoto, last season’s World Series MVP, walked three in 2⅔ scoreless innings. Shoma Fujihira relieved with the bases loaded and struck out An-Ko Lin.
Castro and Lugo help Puerto Rico blank Colombia 5-0
Willi Castro hit an RBI double in a five-run fifth inning, sending Puerto Rico to the win in its Group A opener against Colombia.
Seth Lugo pitched four-plus innings of three-hit ball for Puerto Rico. The right-hander struck out three and walked two.
Harold Ramirez had three of Colombia’s six hits.
Puerto Rico collected each of its five hits in the fifth at San Juan’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
Carlos Cortes hit a leadoff single and scored on an error by third baseman Gio Urshela. Eddie Rosario singled home Darell Hernaiz, and Martin Maldonado chased Adrian Almeida with another run-scoring single.
Rosario scored on Castro’s line drive to right off David Lorduy, and Heliot Ramos added a sacrifice fly.
Colombia threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with two down. But Fernando Cruz retired pinch-hitter Jordan Diaz on a flyball to right, ending the inning.
Edwin Diaz worked the ninth for Puerto Rico, striking out the side after Tito Polo’s pinch-hit single.
Jose Quintana started for Colombia and tossed three hitless innings. The left-hander threw 31 pitches, 19 for strikes.
Both teams play again on Saturday. Puerto Rico faces Panama, and Colombia takes on Canada.
Aranda’s 3-run 8th-inning homer leads Mexico over Britain 8-2
In Houston, Jonathan Aranda broke open the game with a three-run homer in the eighth inning to lead Mexico in Pool B.
The game was tied 1-1 after solo homers by both teams when Gary Gill Hill struck out the first two batters in the eighth. He then issued consecutive walks to Jarren Duran and Arozarena before Aranda lifted a low fastball into the left-field seats.
The crowd, overwhelmingly Mexico fans, went wild as Aranda rounded the bases.
Alek Thomas padded the lead with a two-run single in the ninth and Joey Ortiz added an RBI double before Arozarena drove in a run on a single that made it 8-1.
Nacho Alvarez Jr. gave Mexico a 1-0 lead in the second inning and Harry Ford tied the score in the sixth.
Jack Anderson started for Britain, allowing two hits and a run with three strikeouts in three innings. Mexico starter Javier Assad permitted two hits while striking out two in 3⅔ scoreless innings.
Trayce Thompson, a younger brother of NBA star Klay Thompson, had two hits for Britain, capped by an RBI double in the ninth inning.
Britain will face the U.S. on Saturday night and Mexico resumes play Sunday night against Brazil.
Sanoja homers, Venezuela rides 4-run 5th to 6-2 win over Netherlands
At Miami, Javier Sanoja of the Marlins homered in his home ballpark, Willson Contreras had a two-run single to highlight a four-run fifth and Venezuela opened Pool D play with a win over the Netherlands.
Sanoja, Contreras and Wilyer Abreu all had two hits for Venezuela, while Luis Arraez drove in two runs and Ronald Acuna Jr. scored twice.
Venezuela starter Ranger Suarez allowed three hits and one run in two innings.
Druw Jones — the son of Netherlands manager and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Andruw Jones — drove in both Netherlands runs, first with a tying double in the second and then a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Antwone Kelly started on the mound for the Netherlands, giving up four hits and two runs in three innings.
Both teams return to action Saturday, with Netherlands taking on Nicaragua and Venezuela meeting Israel.
Australia beats Czech Republic 5-1 behind Mead’s 3-run homer
Australia (2-0) defeated the Czech Republic (0-2) in Tokyo behind a go-ahead, three-run, third-inning homer from Curtis Mead of the Chicago White Sox off loser Tomas Ondra to remain unbeaten in Pool C.
Australia, which lost to Cuba in a 2023 quarterfinal, took a 3-1 lead when Mead homered after the Czechs failed to convert a potential double play. Alex Hall added a solo homer off Ryan Johnson in a two-run ninth.
Vojtech Mensik hit a second-inning sacrifice fly for the Czechs.
Josh Hendrickson allowed one run and two hits over three innings.
Moncada homers to lead Cuba over Panama 3-0
Yoan Moncada and Yoelquis Guibert homered off Logan Allen at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Cuba won its WBC opener for the first time since 2013.
Cuba, which lost the 2006 final to Japan and a 2023 semifinal to the U.S., is missing many top Cuban-born players, including Aroldis Chapman, Randy Arozarena and Luis Robert Jr.
Guibert went deep on a high 2-0 fastball in the second and Moncada one inning later pulled a 3-1 sweeper at the bottom of the strike zone for his first home run off a left-hander since Sept. 28, 2023, off Arizona’s Kyle Nelson.
Panama’s Johan Camargo had an RBI single in the seventh against Emmanuel Chapman and, with runners at the corners, Darien Núñez retired Christian Bethancourt on an inning-ending groundout.
Allen, a Florida native whose mother was born in Panama, allowed three runs and five hits in three innings, taking the loss. Winner Livan Moinelo gave up two hits in 3⅔ scoreless innings.
Cuba did not have a baserunner after the fifth. Raidel Martinez got three straight outs for the save.
Caminero, Rodriguez and Cruz homer to lead Dominican Republic over Nicaragua
Junior Caminero hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning as the Dominican Republic beat Nicaragua before a crowd of 35,127 to conclude the first day of Pool D at Miami’s loanDepot Park.
Julio Rodriguez and Oneil Cruz also went deep for the Dominican Republic, which broke it open late after Caminero’s homer snapped a 3-all tie.
Manny Machado’s double in the sixth preceded Caminero’s blast. Rodriguez’s leadoff homer and Cruz’s three-run blast highlighted a six-run eighth.
After his drive off Nicaragua reliever Stiven Cruz cleared the center-field wall, Caminero pumped his chest in jubilation as he pointed to the crowd while rounding the bases. Caminero then was mobbed by his teammates when he touched the plate.
The Dominican Republic padded the lead on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Seranthony Dominguez pitched the sixth for the win. Eight Dominican relievers threw 7⅔ scoreless innings after starter Christopher Sánchez got only four outs.
Nicaragua chased Sánchez during a two-run second. Freddy Zamora hit an RBI double and scored from third on an error by left fielder Juan Soto to put Nicaragua ahead 3-2.
