TOKYO: Olympic gold medallists South Korea edged out defending champions Japan 1-0 to emerge winners in World Baseball Classic Pool A on Monday, avenging their earlier loss in the double-elimination round.
Kim Tae-Kyun hit the winning run with a line-drive single in the fourth inning as South Korea rolled on with six hits against Japan’s four.
The Samurai humiliated South Korea 14-2 on Saturday in the all-Asian pool, with South Korea coming back with a 14-0 shutout of China on Sunday.
The rivalling neighbours secured Pool A berths in the double-elimination second round, which will bring together the top two teams from each of the four pools.
Japan will face the top team from Group B which includes Cuba, Mexico, Australia and South Africa in the second-round Pool 1 in San Diego next week. South Korea will take on the runners-up.
“After we suffered a huge loss two days ago, this victory means much and restores confidence that will carry our young team forward in the United States,” Korea’s manager Kim In-Sik said.
Japan manager Tatsuhiro Hara said: “You may score 14 runs or none at all in game. I think this is baseball.”
“This defeat will help strengthen the team’s solidarity. The players were already saying so in the locker room.”
At the inaugural 2006 Classic, Japan handed South Korea their only defeat in the tournament – 6-0 in the semi-finals – before taming powerhouse Cuba.
But South Korea avenged that defeat by beating Japan twice in the first round and the semi-finals at last year’s Beijing Olympics.
South Korea’s starting pitcher Bong Jung-Keun held down Japanese batters until the bottom of the third inning when Seattle Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima singled to left field.
But Akinori Iwamura of the Tampa Bay Rays grounded to second where Johjima was forced out. With two out, the former Cincinnati Reds pitcher stopped Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki with a groundout.
South Korea got on the board in the top of the fourth frame.
Japan’s starter Hisashi Iwakuma walked lead-off batter Lee Jong-Wook and allowed Jeong Keun-Woo to single to centre field.
With one out, Kim Tae-Kyun cracked a line drive past third baseman Shuichi Murata, sending Lee to the plate.
In the bottom of the inning, Hiroyuki Nakajima singled and reached second on a balk by Bong.
He got to the third when his next batter Norichika Aoki grounded out. But Nakajima could get no further as Atsunori Inaba’s ground ball with two out was cleared by Bong.
South Korea squandered a chance with none out and two runners in scoring position in the seventh. Lee Dae-Hoo slapped a grounder which was easy enough for a double play at home plate and third base.
Ace right-hander Yu Darvish was sent to the mound as Japan’s fourth pitcher at the start of the eighth inning and struck out Ko Young-Min with two outs and runners on first and second base.
Suzuki singled to centre field after getting nowhere in his first three at-bats. He reached second base on Nakajima’s bunt with one out but Aoki grounded out. – AFP/de
