(Photo credit score: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images)
Seiya Suzuki belted two homers and drew a go-ahead bases-loaded stroll within the seventh inning, lifting defending champion Japan to an 8-6 victory over Korea on Saturday in a pool play recreation throughout the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo.
Masataka Yoshida adopted Suzuki’s go-ahead free go with a two-run single to stake Japan to an 8-5 lead. The Boston Red Sox outfielder belted a solo homer within the third — certainly one of three dwelling runs within the inning — and Los Angeles Dodgers celebrity Shohei Ohtani additionally went deep for the second time in as many days.
Japan improved to 2-0 to match Australia atop Group C in round-robin play. Those two groups will play on Sunday.
Korea fell to 1-1, with Taiwan (1-2) and Czechia (0-3) rounding out the group.
The high two groups from every of the 4 swimming pools will advance to the quarterfinals, which shall be break up between Miami and Houston. The semifinals on March 15 and 16 in addition to the ultimate on March 17 shall be contested in Miami.
Jung Ho Lee had an RBI single and Bo Gyeong Moon ripped a two-run double to stake Korea to a 3-0 lead within the first earlier than Suzuki launched a two-run homer within the backside of the inning. Ohtani went deep within the third, merely at some point after he hit a grand slam as a part of a 10-run second inning in Japan’s 13-0 romp over Taiwan.
Suzuki, of the Chicago Cubs, adopted Ohtani two batters afterward Saturday by depositing a 1-1 curveball from Young Pyo Ko over the left-center area wall. Korea’s Byeong Hyeon Jo relieved Ko and promptly noticed his 0-1 curveball despatched over the wall in proper area by Yoshida.
Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim launched a two-run homer to forge a 5-5 tie within the fourth inning, and Ju Won Kim added one other within the eighth. However, Japan’s Yuki Matsumoto struck out Hyeseong Kim with the bases loaded to finish the body.
Japan loaded the bases within the seventh earlier than Suzuki walked on 5 pitches in opposition to Young Kyu Kim to regain the lead for his membership. Yoshida tacked onto the benefit with a single to middle area, scoring Ohtani and Kensuke Kondoh.
–Field Level Media