On the evening of the 9th, Japan competed in the World Baseball Classic's first-round opening match against China, ultimately winning 8-1. Notably, Otani Shohei played both as a pitcher and hitter, demonstrating outstanding leadership by throwing four innings without giving up any runs and making two crucial hits. Later in this article, I will provide a detailed account of the game's progression. In the first round of the WBC held at Tokyo Dome on the evening of the 9th, Japan aims to secure their first victory in three tournaments by facing off against China. Otani, the winning pitcher, took the mound as the starting pitcher and also played as the third hitter and designated hitter. 

He dominated the game with his fastballs, averaging around 160 km per hour, and sharp sliders, not allowing any runners until the middle of the fourth inning. During the game, Maki from Japan hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, while Liang Pei from China hit one in the sixth inning, resulting in Otani's win and Wang Xiang's loss as the defeating pitcher.

In the fourth inning, despite giving up the first hit with one out, Otani regained control by using his slider as the deciding pitch and striking out the next two batters in a row.

Overall, Otani performed exceptionally well as the starter, pitching four scoreless innings with just 49 pitches, allowing only one hit and achieving five strikeouts.

Otani's exceptional performance in the WBC extended beyond pitching, as he also contributed to the team's momentum through his batting. In his first at-bat, he chose to take a four-ball, widening his chances of scoring the first goal. -base hit that landed directly on the left fence, adding two more points to the team's score.

Overall, Otani demonstrated his outstanding skills both as a pitcher and hitter on the WBC stage, achieving a total of two hits in four at-bats, along with two four-balls.

Following Otani's impressive performance, the second pitcher, Shosei Togo, found himself in a challenging situation but demonstrated resilience and pitched for three innings, conceding just one goal.

In the eighth inning, Japan's batting prowess came to the forefront, with ten batters attacking and scoring four runs.

Looking ahead, Japan is set to face South Korea in the second match of the first round on the 10th.

Shohei Ohtani expressed his thoughts on the game, stating that it was a fantastic match.

Following his impressive performance as the starting pitcher, along with two hits and two RBIs as a batter, Shohei Otani shared his thoughts in a hero interview. He expressed that the game was intense from the start, but he was able to connect the batting lines and secure a win for the team in the end. He also acknowledged that China, their opponent, played great baseball and that they didn't know what to expect until the middle of the game. Nonetheless, the team's efforts paid off, resulting in an outstanding game.