Korea on Both Sides of a Blowout In WBC

Korea came in as one of the favorites to win the WBC, or at least go deep into the tournament. They got off to a good start against heavy underdog Chinese Taipei, beating them with an expected 9-0 blowout.

The win set up the expected and highly-anticipated matchup between Korea and their arch-rival Japan. The pitching matchup was set, as Hara-kantoku sent Boston Red Sox star Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound, while Korean manager In-Sik Kim sent Kwang-Hyun Kim to counter.

Focus on the game would be on pitching, but the slumping Ichiro sent a message out of the gate: Japan is still the defending champions of this tournament. The former Orix megastar lined a single to right for his first hit of the tournament after going hitless in the first game against China. He later came around to score courtesy of Norichika Aoki, part of a three-run first inning, which was not the start K.H. Kim was looking for.

Matsuzaka didn't fare much better. Prone to slow starts in the first inning with the Red Sox, giving up a towering 2-run blast to Tae-Kyun Kim in the bottom of the first, one that went over the billboards at the back of Tokyo Dome. Matsuzaka got out of the jam, and was solid for the rest of his appearance over 4 innings, giving up 2 runs on four hits, walking two and striking out 1.

His offense was able to keep the game nowhere close, though. With two men on and one out in the top of the 2nd inning (2 runs already in), BayStar Shuichi Murata, who clubbed a 2-run shot in the first game of the tournament, got a great pitch to hit from K.H. Kim, and while not as majestic as T.K. Kim's shot, it went right into the front row to make it 8-2, Japan.

K.H. Kim was finished for the day. His outing was disastrous, giving up 8 runs on 7 hits, giving up 2 walks and striking out 3 in just 1 and 1/3 innings.

While Matsuzaka was settling down, Japan continued to pour it on. Hyun-Wook Jong was able to stem the bleeding over his 1 and 1/3 innings of work, but Japan opened Korea's wounds and continued to rub salt in them once Wonsam Jang came in. Jang gave up three more runs (two earned), with the worst one coming via an error by Dae-Ho Lee, which brought Ichiro around to score.

By that point the game was practically over, with Japan leading 11-2, but former SoftBank MVP Kenji Johjima poured it on himself, slamming a 2-run shot of his own into the left-field stands. Japan was up 13-2 at that point, and with another run added in the 7th inning, the game was called thanks to the mercy rule.

Matsuzaka was credited with the win, while K.H. Kim was tagged with the loss. Other Japanese pitchers who came in were Marines submariner Shunsuke Watanabe, SoftBank strikeout king Toshiya Sugiuchi, and Hanshin sinkerballer Minoru Iwata, all throwing one scoreless inning.

With the win, Japan has clinched a berth in the second round, while it is possible to still lose the bracket. With this loss, Korea will take on China in the game that decides who goes and faces Japan in the final game of Pool A.