Korea loses to Japan in Asia Baseball Championship opener

By Baek Byung-yeul

Korea lost to Japan 8-7 in the opening game of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship in Tokyo, Thursday.

At Tokyo Dome, Korea couldn’t hold a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning as its bullpen issued a bases-loaded walk to head to extra innings. And under the extra innings rules, Korea scored three in the top 10th but allowed four runs in the bottom 10th to take an opening game defeat in the inaugural baseball tourney.

The four-day Asia Professional Baseball Championship features professional baseball players from Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei under the age of 24 or those with under three years of professional baseball experience. The three teams will play two round robin matches through Saturday and the two best teams will be in the final on Sunday.

After trading zeroes, Japan scored the first run in the bottom of the third inning on a throwing error by second baseman Park Min-woo.

Korea responded in the following inning as Kim Ha-seong led off the inning with a solo home run to left. Japan’s starter Kazuki Yabuta gave up back-to-back singles to Choi Won-jun and Jung Hyun. With runners on first and third, Ha Ju-suk hit a sacrifice to give Korea a 2-1 lead. Korea added two more runs in the inning against the new pitcher Kensuke Kondoh as Lee Jung-hoo blasted a two-RBI double.

However, Japan closed the gap to one run in the sixth inning as Korea’s reliever Koo Chang-mo surrendered a two-run home run to Hotaka Yamakawa.

The Korean team manager Sun Dong-yol called Kim Yun-dong in the ninth to end the game, but Korea suffered a nightmare inning as Kim completely lost his control, walking two batters and giving up a single to load the bases.

Kim was consequently pulled and replaced by new reliever Ham Deok-ju. Facing Yota Kyoda, the left-hander walked him to tie the game at 4-4.

Under the extra innings rules, Korea began the top 10th inning with runners at first and second and Ryu Ji-hyuk hit a double to make it 5-4 and Ha followed up with a double, bringing in two more runs for a 7-4 lead.

But, Japan responded right away in the following inning as Seiji Uebayashi belted a game-tying three-run shot against Ham. Ham was then replaced by right-hander Lee Min-ho, but he allowed a single to Ryoma Nishikawa. After Nishikawa stole second, Tatsuhiro Tamura brought him home with a RBI single to end the long game.

Korea will play Chinese Taipei at 7 p.m., Friday.