Despite 2 straight losses, Korea still alive, barely
Korea's Kim Ha-seong, right, is tagged by Japan's catcher Yuhei Nakamura during the seventh inning of the first round Pool B game at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in the Tokyo Dome, Japan, March 10. AP-Yonhap
Having dropped its first two games of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), South Korea no longer controls its own destiny.
In order to reach the quarterfinals as one of the top two teams in Pool B, South Korea must win its two remaining games and pray for help from other countries.
Korea lost to Australia 8-7, Thursday, and then to Japan 13-4, Friday. It will next play the Czech Republic at noon Sunday and close out the first round against China at 7 p.m. Monday. All games are in the Tokyo Dome.
As unlikely as it may be, there is one scenario in which Korea can still make the quarterfinals.
Japan currently leads the group with two wins and it should cruise past the Czech Republic and Australia to go undefeated.
As of Saturday morning, Australia and the Czech Republic have one win apiece, while Korea and China have two losses each.
For Korea to advance, Japan must win out to finish at 4-0 and South Korea must win its final two games.
Korean players leave after the first round Pool B game between Korea and Japan at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in the Tokyo Dome, Japan, March 10. AP-Yonhap
This assumes that Australia will lose to Japan. And if Australia falls to the Czech Republic but beats China, then Australia, Korea and the Czechs will all finish at 2-2.
The first tiebreak category is the head-to-head record, but in this particular case, head-to-head matches won't solve the deadlock. They will instead go to a tiebreaking formula: the lowest quotient of earned runs allowed by defensive outs. Simply put, the team with the fewest earned runs surrendered will come out on top.
Through two games, Korea has given up 21 earned runs in 17 defensive innings. As of Saturday morning, Australia had given up seven earned runs in nine innings, and the Czechs had allowed five earned runs in nine.
The final standing could also end up as this: Japan (4-0), Korea (2-2), Czech Republic (2-2), Australia (1-3) and China (1-3). For this to materialize, Australia must lose all remaining games, including one against China on Saturday afternoon.
In this case, Korea will hold the tiebreaker over the Czech Republic thanks to the better head-to-head record.
If Japan wins out, Korea wins out, and Australia loses to China but beats the Czech Republic, then the standings will be as follows: Japan (4-0), Australia (2-2), Korea (2-2), Czech Republic (1-3) and China (1-3).
In this case, Australia will hold the head-to-head edge over Korea thanks to Thursday's win and will join Japan in the quarterfinals.
Korea has a rest day Saturday. Australia is favored over China at noon Saturday, and Japan should handle the Czechs starting at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Korea-Czech Republic game begins at noon Sunday. The Czech team is made up mostly of amateurs who have regular jobs off the baseball field, but the Europeans showed some resilience in their 8-5 victory over China, Friday.
The Czech Republic frittered away a 4-1 lead by allowing four runs in the bottom of the seventh. But it mounted an impressive comeback with a four-run ninth.
The Czechs blasted two long balls. Given the state of Korean relief pitching, which has served up 15 runs in 10 2/3 innings in the first two games, powerful Czech hitters could run into a few pitches and that could easily lead them to a stunning win.
If Korea manages to beat the Czechs, then they will have to root hard for the European country to beat Australia, starting at noon Monday. Depending on that result, Korea could end up playing a meaningless game against China, beginning at 7 p.m. that night. (Yonhap)
Korea's manager Lee Kang-chul, right, talks through translator to umpire Laz Diaz during the eighth inning of the first round Pool B game between Korea and Japan at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in the Tokyo Dome, Japan, March 10. AP-Yonhap