TOKYO, One of just two major leaguers for South Korea at the World Baseball Classic (WBC), San Diego Padres infielder Kim Ha-seong finally lived up to his name with two home runs in the team’s must-win game Sunday.
Kim led off the second and seventh innings with solo home runs against the Czech Republic at Tokyo Dome, helping South Korea to score. South Korea had to win this game to stay alive in the WBC, and Kim came through with those homers after going 0-for-7 with a walk in two previous games, both of them losses.
South Korea batted around in the five-run first inning, but Kim didn’t join the hit parade, as he popped out to third base against starter Lukas Ercoli.
But Kim led off the second inning by turning on a curveball from Ercoli and depositing it into the left-field stands for a 5-0 South Korea lead.
The Czech Republic battled back for two runs in the top of the seventh, and Kim got a run back with one swing of the bat to begin the bottom of the inning, driving a solo shot over the right-center fence for a 7-2 lead.
Kim was one of few constants in the lineup, as he batted in the No. 2 spot for the third straight game.
In desperate moves made in desperate times, manager Lee Kang-chul made several lineup changes, and they paid early dividends during the key first inning.
Park Kun-woo batted leadoff for the first time, replacing Tommy Edman, who’d gone 1-for-8 in two earlier losses. Park knocked a double to center to begin the game and reached third on a throwing error by right fielder Matej Mensik.
South Korea then pieced together three straight hits to jump out in front 2-0. The third hit came off the bat of Kang Baek-ho, who batted fifth for the first time in Tokyo.
Those who were dropped down in the lineup also did their part. Captain Kim Hyun-soo was 0-for-7 in the first two games and worked a bases-loaded walk for a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Edman, batting ninth, drove in two runs with an infield single that went off shortstop Vojtech Mensik and trickled into the outfield.
Kang went 2-for-4, and Kim picked up his first hit of the tournament in the sixth. Edman was 1-for-3.
Source: Yonhap News Agency