TOKYO (AP) \u2014 This is the Shohei Ohtani effect.<\/p>\n
Ohtani put on a giant show in batting practice hours before he hit a grand slam in the second inning \u2014 in the first he doubled on the first pitch of the game but didn\u2019t score \u2014 as Japan hammered Taiwan 13-0<\/a> in Pool C at the World Baseball Classic<\/a>.<\/p>\n kAmxE H2D y2A2?\u2019D 7:CDE 82>6 @7 7@FC \ud83d\ude15 A@@= A=2J]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm~9E2?: 5C6H >2;@C (6DE6C? 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E@ 8:G6 FD E96 >@>6?EF>] $@ x E:A >J 42A E@ 9:>]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n k9amp? 62C=J D9@H \ud83d\ude15 q!k^9am<\/p>\n kAm~9E2?:VD 32EE:?8 AC24E:46 E9C:==65 >2?J H9@ 925 EC2G6=65 7C@> 272C E@ D66 9:>]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm{:2 r92? 2?5 96C 9FD32?5 w@H 2?5 @E96C 72>:=J >6>36CD 7=6H \ud83d\ude15 7C@> $:?82A@C6 \u2014 23@FE 2 D6G6?\\9@FC 7=:89E E@ %@^2CE:4=6^D9@96:\\@9E2?:\\H@C=5\\32D632==\\4=2DD:4\\H34\\dedccb_e`eebdcc3g2f`73b_4gacgf4fQm(@C=5 q2D632== r=2DD:4]k^2mk^Am<\/p>\n kAm\u201cp?5 32D632== \ud83d\ude00 ?@E 6G6? A@AF=2C \ud83d\ude15 $:?82A@C6[\u201d D2:5 {:2[ H9@ H2D D62E65 2 76H C@HD 369:?5 9@>6 A=2E6] \u201c(6 @H 23@FE 32D632==[ H6 H2E49 :E[ 3FE H96? ~9E2?: 42>6 2=@?8 :EVD ;FDE 8@?6 @FE @7 AC@A@CE:@?D]Qk^Am<\/p>\n kAm{:2[ 96C 9FD32?5 2?5 @E96C $:?82A@C62?D \ud83d\ude15 E96:C 8C@FA H6C6 2>@?8 D@>6 c_[___ \ud83d\ude15 E96 DE25:F> @@9:?8\\2?5\\229:?8 @? uC:52J[ 2?5 E9:D H2D @?=J 7@C 32EE:?8 AC24E:46 9@FCD 367@C6 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;2A2?\\@9E2?:\\H@C=5\\32D632==\\4=2DD:4\\_e2dd7de4`h_d5e`7db3f7hf_337ad26QmD64@?5 !@@= r 82>6]k^2mk^Am<\/p>\n kAm~9E2?: @HD 23@FE 5C2>2]k^Am<\/p>\n kAmw6 <6AE E96 4C@H5 H2:E:?8 7@C A6C92AD b_ >:?FE6D 2D @E96C y2A2?6D6 A=2J6CD AC24E:465 2?5 9F?5C65D @7 C6A@CE6CD H:E9 42>6C2D[ A9@?6D 2?5 EC:A@5D >:==65 2C@F?5 \ud83d\ude15 2 A6??65\\@77 2C62 @? E96 7:6=5]k^Am<\/p>\n kAmu:?2==J[ ~9E2?: 6>6C865 7C@> E96 5F8@FE 2?5 H2:E65 9:D EFC? 2C@F?5 E96 32EE:?8 4286[ 9F8865 2 76H A=2J6CD[ >256 D>2== E2=<[ 2?5 8C66E65 D@>6 72?D \ud83d\ude15 2? 2C62 7@C DA@?D@CD]k^Am<\/p>\n kAmu2?D \ud83d\ude15 E96 DE2?5D DE@@5 E@ 86E 2 36EE6C =@@<] qFE E96J H6C6 2D<65 E@ D:E 5@H? 3J 2EE6?52?ED 9@=5:?8 D:8?D \ud83d\ude15 y2A2?6D6 2?5 t?8=:D9 E92E C625i \u201c!=62D6 H2E49 7C@> J@FC D62ED]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n kAm~9E2?: E@@< 23@FE ad DH:?8D[ 9:E 23@FE `_ 32==D @FE @7 E96 A2C< 2?5 2?@E96C 76H 282:?DE E96 @FE7:6=5 H2==]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm(96? 32EE:?8 AC24E:46 6?565[ 96 ;@8865 @FE E@ E92?< E96 32EE:?8 AC24E:46 A:E496C[ 3@H65 D=:89E=J[ 2?5 82E96C65 2 76H =@@D6 32==D 2?5 E@DD65 E96> :?E@ E96 9@AA6C] %96? H:E9 2 32E \ud83d\ude15 6249 92?5[ 96 EC@EE65 @77 E96 7:6=5 E@ AC6A2C6 7@C E96 82>6 282:?DE %2:H2?]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm\u201c(9@ 5@6D E9:?8D =:<6 E92EnQ {:2 D2:5] \u201cw6VD \ud83d\ude15 2?@E96C =628F6]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n k9C ^m<\/p>\n kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3k^2mk^Am<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TOKYO (AP) \u2014 This is the Shohei Ohtani effect. Ohtani put on a giant show in batting 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