Victory over Japan: South Korean players jubilantly hug each other after defeating Japan 4-1 in a second round game of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., Wednesday (KST). Manager Kim In-sik’s side has now joined the United States and Venezuela in the semifinals of the Classic. Korea meets the winner of today’s match between Japan and Cuba in the second round title match of Pool 1 on Friday at 10 a.m. The penultimate stage starts Sunday at Dodger Stadium. / Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Southpaw Bong Jung-keun's impressive performance and South Korea's early charge lifted manager Kim In-sik's side to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in a 4-1 win over Japan, Wednesday (Seoul time).
In the third match-up between the pair at the tournament at Petco Park in San Diego, Bong threw 5 1/3 innings and allowed one run and three hits, while Lee Jin-young hit a two-run single in the first inning.
The LG Twins lefty delivered 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the defending champion in the Pool A title match in the opening round in Tokyo.
 With the victory, South Korea, which clinched a spot in the WBC semifinal for the second-straight time, has joined Venezuela and the United States, the Pool 2 semifinalists.
The penultimate round starts at Dodger Stadium, Sunday.
The reigning Olympic champion will play the winner of Thursday's contest between Japan and Cuba for the Pool 1 crown Friday in accordance with the double elimination system.
The Samurai Japan blanked the Caribbean 6-0 in the second round opener thanks to Daisuke Matsuzaka's brilliant six scoreless-inning pitching.
The Japanese squad, headed by Tatsunori Hara, outnumbered Korea in hits ― 7 to 4 ― but it also walked seven batters, compared to Korea's three.
 In addition, Korea's solid fielding did not allow its neighboring foe to get on the scoreboard.
Benefiting from stellar defensive plays by shortstop Jeong Keun-woo and first baseman Kim Tae-kyun, who each snagged a possible single in the top of the first inning, the Korean team did not waste time jumping into the lead, cranking out three runs in the bottom half.
Lee Yong-kyu led off the inning with a single to left and stole second base, and Jeong's infield single put runners on first and third.
Kim Hyun-soo's grounder earned Korea the first run of the night, and he also reached off shortstop Yasuyuki Kataoka's fielding error.
After Kim Tae-kyun walked to load the bases, Lee Jin-young hit a two-run single to left to make it 3-0.
Bong, who cruised through the fourth inning, yielding just one hit, allowed a barrage of hits to Kosuke Fukudome of the Chicago Cubs and Kenji Johjima of the Seattle Mariners in the fifth with no out, but the 28-year-old gave up the lone run of the game, driven in by Ichiro Suzuki's grounder.
The South Korean pitcher, who held Ichiro hitless in three at-bats in the title match, did not allow the Mariners star outfielder to reach base.
Yoon Suk-min, the second pitcher of the game, extended his scoreless streak at the WBC to 9 2/3 after tossing 2 1/3 shutout innings.
Japanese starter Yu Darvish recovered from his early shaky performance, allowing just one hit over four innings with six strikeouts after then, but was charged with a loss.
ksw@koreatimes.co.kr
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