Baseball: WBC kicks off as Australia defeats Taiwan in Pool C opener

The World Baseball Classic started on Thursday as Australia defeated Taiwan 3-0 at Tokyo Dome in the opener for Pool C, which includes defending champion Japan.In the bottom of the fifth inning, Australian catcher Robbie Perkins blasted a two-run homer to right-center field, giving Australia a 2-0 lead.Samurai Japan, headlined by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is set to face Taiwan in its first game on Friday in Tokyo, followed by South Korea on Saturday, Australia on Sunday and the Czech Republic on Tuesday.Right-handed ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani's teammate…READ FULL ARTICLE