TOKYO (AP) — This is the Shohei Ohtani effect. Ohtani put on a giant show in batting practice hours before he hit a grand slam in the second inning — in the first he doubled on the first pitch of the game but didn’t score — as Japan hammered Taiwan 13-0 in Pool C at the World Baseball Classic.

Shohei Ohtani provided the first electric moment of the World Baseball Classic with a grand slam, three years after he capped the last WBC by striking out Mike Trout.

The World Baseball Classic is back in 2026. Here's how to tune in to Monday's Brazil vs. Great Britain matchup.

Day 4 of the 2026 World Baseball Classic started with a near-cycle and a whole lot of math. South Korea’s Bo Gyeong Moon rocketed a 430-foot homer to open the scoring gates and then added an RBI double and an RBI single to help his team establish a 5-0 lead over Australia in a must-win game in Pool C action on Monday.

South Korea defeated Australia 7-2 at the Tokyo Dome, securing a place in the WBC quarterfinals for the first time after a decisive victory.