03/07/26 08:09:00
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03/07 08:08 CST Suzuki homers twice and Ohtani goes deep as Japan overpowers
South Korea 8-6
Suzuki homers twice and Ohtani goes deep as Japan overpowers South Korea 8-6
By The Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) --- Defending champion Japan hit four home runs --- two by Chicago
Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki --- to beat South Korea 8-6 on Saturday and stay
undefeated in Pool C of the World Baseball Classic.
Shohei Ohtani and Masataka Yoshida also homered for Japan. Ohtani's homer
followed his grand slam Friday in a 13-0 win over Taiwan.
Both teams showed more power than pitching, particularly in the first four
innings in a slugfest as the two combined for five home runs topped by Suzuki's
pair at the Tokyo Dome.
Japan and Australia are 2-0 in Pool C play and meet Sunday as the two favorites
to advance to the quarterfinals. In Sunday's other game, South Korea (1-1)
faces Taiwan (1-2).
South Korea took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning off starter Yusei
Kikuchi with consecutive singles by Do Yeong Kim, Jahmai Jones and Jung Hoo Lee
and a two-run double by Bo Gyeong Moon.
Suzuki hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to pull Japan back to
3-2.
Japan surged ahead 5-3 in the third on solo home runs by Ohtani, Suzuki and
Yoshida.
South Korea played its own home-run derby in the top of the fourth, drawing
even 5-5 on Hyeseong Kim's two-run homer off Japan's second pitcher, Hiromi
Itoh. It was the fifth home run between the two teams through four innings.
Japan broke through in the seventh to lead 8-5. Young Kyu Kim, who entered in
relief earlier in the inning, walked Suzuki with the bases loaded to force in a
run, and Yoshida followed with a single to score two more.
The Koreans scored one in the eighth to make it 8-6 but left the bases loaded
when Yuki Matsumoto struck out Hyeseong Kim.
Atsuki Taneichi was the winning pitcher with a save for Taisei Ota. Yeong Hyun
Park took the loss.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was at the game on Saturday. On
Friday, actor Timothe Chalamet and pop singer Bad Bunny showed up.
Fairchild's grand slam powers Taiwan to 14-0 win
Stuart Fairchild's second-inning grand slam powered Taiwan to a 14-0 victory
over the winless Czech Republic.
The victory was Taiwan's first in the tournament and came the day after it was
pounded 13-0 by Japan.
The game was stopped by the mercy rule with Taiwan leading by 10 or more after
seven innings.
Taiwan played small ball for a 2-0 lead in the first inning, capitalizing on
two bunt singles, a double steal and a throwing error by Czech catcher Martin
Cervenka. It was Taiwan's first two runs of the tournament.
It was big ball in the second inning.
With two out, Czech pitcher Jan Novak gave up a single and walked two, setting
the stage for Fairchild's blast.
Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang got the victory and Novak was the losing pitcher.
Taiwan added two more runs in the fourth, another in the fifth and five in the
sixth. They also set a WBC tournament record with seven stolen bases.
Fairchild, who qualified for the team through his Taiwanese mother, plays in
the Cleveland Guardians organization.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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