Overview
- Japan opened Pool C with a seven-inning mercy-rule win over Chinese Taipei as Shohei Ohtani went 3-for-4 with a grand slam and five RBIs in a 10-run second inning.
- Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto started for Japan and worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings before the bullpen completed a one-hitter.
- Team USA, a heavy favorite in Pool B, opens tonight in Houston against Brazil with Giants ace Logan Webb set to start under first-round pitch-count constraints.
- Manager Mark DeRosa has designated Clayton Kershaw for emergency relief duties, signaling cautious pitcher usage for the Americans.
- The tournament’s growing spotlight includes Netflix carrying all games in Japan and celebrities such as Bad Bunny and Timothée Chalamet attending Japan’s opener, while Brazil enters without active MLB players after qualifying in 2025.