By Phil Rogers

The WBC is off and running.

Despite a missing wakeup call for Japanese hitters, the second edition of the World Baseball Classic is off to a big start. The first game is in the books -- a 4-0 victory for Japan over China, ending at about 6:15 Thursday morning, Central time. 

While the WBC fights for acceptance from American fans, it has become a hit in Asia. The crowds were sparse at Tokyo Dome in 2006 -- less than 16,000 for Japan's 18-2 win over China -- but even workouts have been a big deal this time around, with fans flocking to see the tournament's defending champs.

Everybody loves a winner, and the Japanese shocked the favored teams from North and Latin America to win the WBC three years ago. That success helped Daisuke Matsuzaka land a monster contract from the Boston Red Sox and has elevated the interest in baseball in Japan.

More than 30,000 fans turned out for the Japan's first WBC workout, and the Tokyo Dome was sold out (43,428) for Thursday's opener, which was expected to be a Japanese rout of China. "[Interest in the Japanese team] hasn't doubled since 2006; it has probably tripled,'' ESPN's Orestes Destrada said. "You see how they're treated here. They're like rock stars. It's crazy.''

On the field, the WBC opener lacked both hitting and intrigue. There was never any doubt that Japan would win -- 22-year-old Yu Darvish held China hitless for the first four innings, and third baseman Shuichi Murata hit a two-run homer in the third inning -- but Japan failed to come out hitting. 

Ichiro Suzuki, who was 3-for-23 in pre-tournament exhibitions, went 0-for-5 even though China saved ace Lu Jiangang for its next game -- expected to be an elimination game against Chinese Taipei. A lineup including big-leaguers Kosuke Fukudome, Akinori Iwamura and Kenji Johjima delivered only five hits, matching China's total. 

Don't blame Fukudome. The Cubs' $48-million mystery man walked in all four of his plate appearances. China's Sun Guogiang had him down 0-2 in the sixth inning but Fukudome dug in and worked a walk. He wasn't chasing pitches out of the strike zone, as he had done for the Cubs while watching his batting average shrink six months in a row last season, including a 1-for-10 performance in the playoffs.

While Japan saved Matsuzaka for its anticipated second-round game against Korea, which won the Asian pool in 2006, it showcased a variety of intriguing pitchers after Darvish reached his pitch limit. Twenty-year-old Masahiro Tanaka featured velocity and poise. Kyuji Fujikawa, Japan's top closer, finished the game. He flashed a fastball-forkball combination that has generated comparisons to Brad Lidge.

The game's most surprising player was Chinese shortstop Ray Chang, who was raised in Kansas City by Chinese-American parents. The 25-year-old made a nice play to throw out a runner at home plate and went 1-for-4 at the plate. He's a fifth-year pro expected to play at Double-A or Triple-A for Pittsburgh.