SEOUL - In a closely contested exhibition match on Sunday, the San Diego Padres narrowly defeated the South Korean national team with a score of 1-0 at the Gocheok Sky Dome.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Padres managed to score the sole run of the match in the first inning, a result of a wild pitch from South Korean starter Moon Dong-ju. Despite out-hitting the Padres five to four, the South Korean team failed to capitalize on late-game opportunities, leaving runners stranded against the Padres' bullpen.
In a significant homecoming, Kim Ha-seong, the South Korean shortstop playing for the Padres, returned to his former ballpark, making one hit out of four at-bats in front of 12,497 spectators. Kim had spent the latter five of his seven seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) playing at Gocheok.
The Padres are set to continue their exhibition schedule with a game against the LG Twins, the 2023 Korean Series champions, on Monday. Following this, they will compete in two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the season-opening Seoul Series on Wednesday and Thursday, marking the first time Major League Baseball regular season games will be held in South Korea.
Despite the challenging start, South Korean pitcher Moon Dong-ju managed to regain composure after the first inning, completing a cleaner second inning with the Padres failing to add to their early lead. Subsequent South Korean pitchers held the Padres to just four hits for the remainder of the game.
South Korea's batting efforts saw potential but ultimately lacked the timely hits needed to overturn the Padres' early lead. Notable moments included Moon Bo-gyeong's double in the seventh and two consecutive singles in the eighth, which did not result in scores. The ninth inning offered a final chance for South Korea to equalize or overtake the Padres, but despite initial promising moves, the inning ended with a double play, sealing the Padres' win.
The Padres' other South Korean player, reliever Go Woo-suk, was not utilized in the Sunday game.