Article #256600

• Ohtani grand slam sparks 10-run second inning

• Japan crush Taiwan 13-0 under mercy rule

• Bad Bunny, Timothée Chalamet among crowd

Shohei Ohtani blasted a home run to ignite Japan’s World Baseball Classic campaign as the defending champions thrashed Taiwan 13-0 in their tournament opener in Tokyo on Friday.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Ohtani’s grand slam homer set the tone as Japan scored 10 runs in the second inning alone in front of around 42,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome.