Seoul: The South Korean bats started off hot before cooling off considerably in a deflating 8-6 loss to Japan at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The first three South Korean batters of the game each hit a single off starter Yusei Kikuchi, with Lee Jung-hoo capping that run with an RBI knock to left.
According to Yonhap News Agency, three batters later, Moon Bo-gyeong, an offensive hero with a grand slam in the team's 11-4 win over Czechia on Thursday, delivered a two-run double to center to give South Korea a 3-0 lead. However, South Korea pitchers couldn't maintain the lead as Japan hammered four home runs over the first three innings to seize a 5-3 advantage.
South Korea managed to tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the fourth inning, thanks to a two-run home run from an unexpected source -- No. 9 hitter Kim Hye-seong. Facing reliever Hiromi Itoh, Kim turned on an inside fastball and sent it sailing into the seats in right-center field. The ball traveled 410 feet, surpassing the distance of a home run hit by Kim's Los Angeles Dodgers teammate, Shohei Ohtani, in the bottom of the third inning.
After Kim's home run, South Korea was held without a hit over the next three innings. Itoh struck out four batters in the fifth and sixth innings, and new pitcher Atsuki Taneichi struck out the side in the seventh inning.
South Korea showed signs of life in the eighth inning against Yuki Matsumoto, with Lee Jung-hoo opening the inning with a double and Kim Ju-won delivering an RBI single. South Korea then loaded the bases with two outs, but Kim Hye-seong struck out looking against Matsumoto, marking the end of South Korea's final rally.
South Korea struck out 15 times in the loss, with cleanup hitter Ahn Hyun-min and Park Dong-won each recording three strikeouts.