Shohei Ohtani was helpless no matter what pitch was thrown. Ohtani's class was something Korea could not handle.
Ohtani started as the No. 1 designated hitter in Japan's first-round C-pool game against Korea in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome on the 7th, going 2-for-2 with one RBI, two walks and three runs scored to secure Japan's 8-6 victory. Korea suffered its 11th consecutive loss to Japan.
It was a game Korea could not overcome Ohtani's full presence. The day before (the 6th) Ohtani led Japan to a 13-0 victory by cold game in the seventh inning against Taiwan, starting with a first-inning leadoff double, hitting a two-run grand slam and an RBI for a line of 4 at-bats, 3 hits and 5 RBIs.
And on this day Ohtani once again stepped into the batter's box against Korea with intent. Starter Ko Young-pyo could not help but struggle with Ohtani. The lineup gave Ko three runs in the first inning with Lee Jung-hoo's RBI and Moon Bo-gyeong's two-RBI double.
But the first batter of the inning after those runs was Ohtani. In the end Ko Young-pyo fought a tough battle with Ohtani. Ohtani calmly drew a walk. Then Seiya Suzuki's two-run shot came, and Japan immediately closed the gap to 3-2.
Ohtani's true worth was displayed from the third inning. With the score 3-2 in the top of the third and one out with no runners, he pulled Ko Young-pyo's inside curve. He lifted the curve with power and sent a huge game-tying solo home run into the middle of the right-field stands. It became 3-3.
After the home run Ohtani did not perform his tea-ceremony celebration. He made a restraint gesture toward his teammates in the dugout. Sending a message to the team that they should not be intoxicated with joy, that it was only a reset, and the game had to resume and aim for a comeback. He reaffirmed his resolve.
After the game Ohtani explained why he did not perform the "tea ceremony" celebration, saying, "Because we all lost the lead, it's very dangerous. It could be premature, so the vibe in the dugout was to try to get even a little bit of a tie to regain a sense of stability."
Japan then understood Ohtani's message. Seiya Suzuki, who hit a two-run shot in the first inning, once again hit a left-field solo home run off Ko Young-pyo to take a 4-3 lead. Japan pulled Ko and Masataka Yoshida hit a right-field solo home run off Korea's reliever Cho Byung-hyun to extend the lead to 5-3.
Also, in the bottom of the fifth Ohtani produced a hit in his return to the plate. With one out and no runners against left-hander Son Ju-yeong, he tapped an outside fastball for a base hit to center. He showed both power and technique.
All the scoring in the game ultimately came in the innings when Ohtani came to bat. In the bottom of the decisive seventh with two outs and a runner on third, Ohtani was walked intentionally and awarded first base. It was an unavoidable choice for Korea. In the end Ohtani could not overcome Seiya Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida and ultimately lost. Korea fell 6-8 and had to kneel before Ohtani's presence.
After the game Ohtani said, "It was a really great game. It was a game where either team could have won," and about the home run he said, "It was a one-run game in the third. At the plate I tried to hit a good ball first, and it turned into a better swing than I expected."
Seiya Suzuki, who is the same age born in 1994, hit back-to-back home runs. He said, "It was really a great performance. Both the first and second home runs were clean swings. I kept my composure and produced good at-bats."
Although Japan had a close contest with Korea that day, various players stepped up as finishers with focus. Ohtani also said, "The biggest moment was Suzuki's first home run. It gave us stability in the game. It brought that momentum to our side. We gave up three runs early, but coming back with two runs was big. It created an environment to focus on at-bats. It was a really good blast," he replied. High school senior Kikuchi ultimately became Ohtani's helper that day. Kikuchi pitched three innings, gave up three runs and was pulled.
Ohtani said, "He must have been nervous. Of course it's unavoidable. As a starting pitcher, there are many cases when your condition isn't right early. Those games happen," and added, "I hope making it even helped even a little. And the dugout also said thank you. It was a tie, so the mood was that we have to do better from here. A good dugout atmosphere continued throughout the game."
He thought that the victory over Korea would be of great help to Japan's journey ahead. He said, "In short tournaments there are always tough games, as last time. If you turn that game into a win, team cohesion grows stronger. It is truly fortunate that we were able to seize today's victory. I think it will have a good influence going forward," he said emphatically.
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