World Baseball Classic 2023: Scores and Reaction from Thursday Pool Play Results

Shohei Ohtani announced his presence at the World Baseball Classic in the only way he knows how.

The Los Angeles Angels superstar went 2-for-4 with two hits and two RBI at the plate against China, and he struck out five batters on the mound.

Ohtani was a big reason Japan picked up an 8-1 victory in its opening game in Pool B, where it is expected to dominate inside the Tokyo Dome.

China suffered two losses on Thursday, as it also fell to the Czech Republic in its second game.

Over in Pool A, Cuba used a huge run output against Panama to bounce back from a defeat to Italy, taking victory by a 13-4 margin.

The second-place spot in Pool A is anyone's for the taking between Cuba, Italy, Panama and Chinese Taipei. The top two teams from each pool advance to the quarterfinals.

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Pool B

Japan 8, China 1

Ohtani did exactly what we expected him to do in Japan's first WBC game.

He put Japan ahead by three runs through a two-run double in the fourth and fanned five batters in four innings of work on the mound.

Japan also produced runs in the first, seventh and eighth innings to cruise past China and to the top of Pool B.

Shugo Maki provided the most power for the host side in Pool B, as he blasted a home run in the seventh inning.

Ohtani will be expected to deliver in every game he plays for Japan. Every single pitch he sees at the plate or that he throws on the mound will be tracked by millions in Japan.

Of course, he is just one player, but he is a very important one to Japan's chase of the WBC title.

After South Korea's loss to Australia on Wednesday, Japan is expected to win Pool B with ease. Japan, Australia and Czech Republic are all 1-0 after Thursday. The latter two sides will be locked in the fight for second place.

Czech Republic 8, China 5

Czech Republic put up eight runs on China to secure its first win of the tournament.

The win was impressive in a different way than the victory produced by Ohtani and Japan.

Most of the Czech players are not professionals, and they came together just for this tournament.

Martin Muzik's three-run homer to seal the victory in the ninth inning was the highlight of the European side's victory.

CBS Sports' Danny Vietti put Muzik's baseball journey into more context.

Matej Mensik, the Czech Republic's sports manager, scored the nation's first ever run of the tournament.

The pair of losses suffered on Thursday likely mean China is out of the running for the quarterfinals. It needs to win its next two games and get help from all over to even have a chance of beating out Australia or South Korea.

If the Czech Republic beats Australia or South Korea, and somehow manages a second-place finish, it would produce one of the best stories in tournament history.

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Pool A

Italy 6, Cuba 3

Italy got on the board in Pool A with a win over Cuba.

The European side, which features a handful of MLB players, was the last team to play its first Pool A game in Taichung, Taiwan.

Italy waited until extra innings to break the game open. It scored four runs in the extra frame. Nicky Lopez's two-run single delivered the final blow to Cuba.

Former New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey threw three solid innings to start the contest for Italy, who used five different relievers to keep the Cuba bats at bay.

As MLB Network's Jon Morosi noted, the victory was a landmark one for Italy over one of the best baseball nations on the planet.

Cuba 13, Panama 4

Cuba rebounded from the Italy loss with a thumping of Panama.

Cuba did not waste time putting up runs on the Panamanian pitching staff, as Alfredo Despaigne produced an RBI double in the first inning.

Panama's only runs came in the second inning. Rubén Tejada's two-run home run and Allen Córdoba's two-run double put Panama ahead for a few innings.

Cuba battled back behind Yoán Moncada and Luis Robert, who combined for five hits and six RBI. They were the catalysts of rallies in

Cuba's 21 hits against Panama set a team record in the competition, and it was one shy of the single-game hits mark for a team in the tournament.

Cuba needed to beat Panama after a disastrous 0-2 start in which it also lost to the Netherlands, succumbing to defeat at the hands of both European sides in Pool A.

Cuba sets high expectations for itself in international baseball competitions, but the three-time Olympic gold medal winner did not live up to them in the first two games.

The Cubans must beat Chinese Taipei in its final Pool A contest and get some help to avoid elimination in the first round for the first time in its World Baseball Classic history.