Japan opens baseball classic against China

Japan begins defense of its 2006 World Baseball Classic title with a Group A contest Thursday against China at the Tokyo Dome.

Japan trounced China 18-2 in a game called in the eighth inning by the mercy rule during the inaugural event three years ago.

The Japanese squad again will be led by several U.S. major league players — Boston Red Sox right hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, second baseman Akinori Iwamura of Tampa Bay and outfielders Kosuke Fukudome of the Chicago Cubs and Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners.

Group A includes South Korea and Taiwan, in addition to Japan and China. South Africa, Mexico, Cuba and Australia comprise Pool B; the United States, Venezuela, Italy and Canada make up Pool C, with the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands and Panama in Group D.

Round 1 will be double-elimination.

The overall event ends March 23 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.