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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Much like he's done with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani is already helping lead a powerful Team Japan to wins in the World Baseball Classic.
The Major League Baseball MVP followed up his grand slam performance with another heroic effort in his team's latest victory over Korea, crushing yet another home run ball.
After Korea gained an early 3-0 lead, Japan’s Seiya Suzuki smashed a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning with Ohtani on base, cutting the lead to one. Ohtani followed that up in the third with a 408-foot home run of his own, taking a Ko Young-pyo pitch deep.
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That particular homerun tied things up in a tight battle early on. When all was said and done, Team Japan recorded its second-straight win at the WBC, thanks to Ohtani and his talented teammates.
Read more: Astros Infielder Hits 2 Home Runs in World Baseball Classic Debut
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Korea and Japan would remain tied through the sixth inning, but Japan managed to score three more runs in the seventh, ultimately taking over the lead for good.
Team Japan would go on to win, 8-6, with pitcher Atsuki Taneichi recording the victory. Ohtani recorded two hits, three runs, and an RBI for another solid performance.
A video quickly arrived on X (formerly Twitter) that features Ohtani's latest home run to tie the game. As one might expect, fans marveled at seeing his latest feat.
"Ohtani is not human," one commenter wrote, reacting to his latest homerun.
Another said, "When your name is Shohei Ohtani, even the biggest moments look routine… one swing and the game is tied."
Others commented, "Need a game tying homer? Say less" and "Why pitch to him?"
His latest performance followed his help in his team's historic achievement at the WBC. In their opening pool-play win over Chinese Taipei, Japan scored 10 runs in the second inning, the most ever in a single inning at the tournament.
The two-time MLB champion with the Dodgers was a significant part of the feat, as his grand slam put four of those runs on the board. He'd add another RBI off a single that inning, to help Japan reach the record, accounting for five of the 10 runs.
It's quite possible that with a weapon like Ohtani participating in this event, more records are on the way.
Next up, he and Team Japan face Australia as they look to continue their winning ways at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
Read more: Dominican Republic Announces Rotation For World Baseball Classic Pool Play
For more about the World Baseball Classic, visit Newsweek Sports.
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