Korea Edges Japan, Comes Back to Win Pool A

Korea was sent reeling two days ago with an embarrassing 14-2 pounding at the hands of their bitter rivals, Team Japan. The loss was so bad that Korea lost by virtue of the mercy rule. They had to first get past China, which they did, 14-0 (a game that also required the mercy rule).

Coming up was another possible classic game between the two rivals. Japan sent 2008 Sawamura Award winner Hisashi Iwakuma to the mound against Korea's Jung Keun Bong. Both starters matched each other stride for stride over the first three innings. Bong was great over 5 and 1/3 innings, giving up only three hits (one to Nakajima and two to Johjima), walking none and striking out 2.

Iwakuma was almost as effective, going the same distance as Bong, but giving up one costly run while striking out 5 and walking 3. The one run came in the fourth after Iwakuma retired the first 9 batters he faced. He started the inning by walking Jong Wook Lee, then gave up a single to Keun Woo Jeong. The backbreaker came with Teu Kyun Kim singled home Lee to put Korea ahead 1-0.

And that was how it would stay. The pitching staffs did their jobs. Toshiya Sugiuchi finished the 6th for Iwakuma. Mahara, Darvish, Yamaguchi, and Fujikawa all came out from the bullpen to keep the game close. However, the Korean relief corps of Jong, Ryu Huyn-Jin, and Yakult closer Lim Chang-Yong slammed the door shut. Japan was only able to manage 6 hits throughout the game.

Another earmark for this game was the defense on both sides. Lee Jong-Wook robbed Nakajima of a base hit in the first inning. In the 2nd Shuichi Murata made a diving stop to save extra bases, and in the 6th, with runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out, Japan turned an unusual 6-2-5 double play to keep the game at 1-0.

However, Japan still could not get anything going, and Korea, by virtue of a 3-1 record wins Pool A, but both Korea and Japan will be moving on to Pool 1 of the WBC, where they await the 1st and 2nd seeds of Pool B, which consists of Australia, Mexico, Cuba, and South Africa.

This was the type of game I was expecting when Korea, Japan play. It is even between the two sides. Almost always very close, well played games.Too bad Korea got the win this time but.... Japan will probably face Korea more times in the WBC and hopefully Japan can bounce back and beat Korea the next time.

Both team´s pitching was outstanding. With the exception of Yamaguchi who came in and walked the first batter, this was a quality pitcher´s game.

It looked as if Fujikawa had a little trouble with placement though and Darvish looked better this time than he did against China which is good, thinking about the future of the tournament. Iwakuma was outstanding and so far has been the best starter out of all the Japanese starters yet he got the loss in my view. He kind of self destructed himself with the walk he gave which lead to the run.

Though Japan had more hits, Korea managed to leave more than 1 runner on base at a time unlike Japan and had some bad base running as well so in my view it was closer to 2-0 than 1-1 so it was a well deserved victory to Korea.

I disagreed very much Hara´s tactics. Nothing wrong with his pitcher´s tactics, but he should not have pinch hitted Uchikawa and he never should have sac bunted in the 8th with 1 out.

Maybe I´m complaining too much or maybe thinking too much...but I think it is strange that 3 out of the 4 best teams in the previous WBC all play each other now in stage 2. It just seems that the USA, Dominican Republic group have easier games than the group Japan, Cuba, Korea will be in.

Is there something fishy going on here to make sure that USA will reach the finals this time in WBC? Or maybe I´m thinking too much into this?

This game really didn't matter that much, so I think you're a little paranoid. Besides, USA and Japan wouldn't even be in the same pool moving on to the next round.

On the game I wasn't surprised that Korea came back and once I saw Inaba in the lineup I didn't fancy Japan's chances. Ogasawara was awful but really Hara screwed up with the bunt in the eighth. Under no circumstances should you ask a hot batter to bunt in that situation. Jojima still has trouble with his calls to Fujikawa which is why Fujikawa is not so effective. His pitches need to be higher but Jojima hasn't figured this out yet.