Korea Defeats Czech Republic... "Japan Is Next"

11-4 Victory in WBC Group C Opener
Moon Bogyeong's Grand Slam, Whitcomb's Two Home Runs
Starter So Youngjun Shines with Three Scoreless Innings
Showdown of Pride Against Japan in Second Match on March 7

The Korean national baseball team defeated the Czech Republic in the World Baseball Classic (WBC).

Under the leadership of manager Ryu Ji-hyun, Korea secured an 11-4 victory over the Czech Republic in the first match of Group C in the 2026 WBC group stage, held at the Tokyo Dome, Japan, on March 5, 2026. The win was powered by home runs from Moon Bogyeong (LG Twins), Shay Whitcomb (Houston Astros), and Jahmai Jones (Detroit Tigers).

Moon Bokyung is performing an airplane celebration after hitting a grand slam in the first inning of the first round of Group C against the Czech Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Tokyo=Yonhap News Photo

Korea's starting lineup consisted of Kim Doyoung (KIA Tigers), Jones, Lee Junghoo (San Francisco Giants), Ahn Hyeonmin (kt Wiz), Moon Bogyeong, Whitcomb, Kim Hyesung (Los Angeles Dodgers), Park Dongwon (LG Twins), and Kim Juwon (NC Dinos).

The bats came alive from the very first inning. With the bases loaded and one out, following two walks and a single, Moon Bogyeong hit a grand slam over the right field fence, covering a distance of 130 meters. After adding another run in the second inning to make it 5-0, Korea extended its lead further in the third inning when Whitcomb launched a home run that landed on top of the left field fence. Whitcomb also hit a two-run homer to left field in the fifth inning, playing a decisive role in Korea's victory as the Czech Republic narrowed the gap to 6-3.

So Yongjun is pitching as a starter in the first game of Group C in the 2026 World Baseball Classic against the Czech Republic. Tokyo - Photo by Yonhap News

Starter So Youngjun (kt Wiz) pitched three innings, allowing four hits and striking out two, without giving up a run. Noh Kyungeun (SSG Landers) took the mound in the fourth inning and pitched a scoreless inning. Although Korea was leading 6-0 in the fifth inning, Jung Woojoo (Hanwha Eagles) gave up a three-run homer to Terrin Vavra, cutting the lead to three runs. However, Park Younghyun (kt Wiz) in the sixth, Cho Byunghyun (SSG Landers) in the seventh, Kim Younggyu (NC Dinos) in the eighth, and Yoo Youngchan (LG Twins) in the ninth each pitched an inning, allowing only one run over the final four innings to secure this valuable win.

After a day of rest, Korea will play its second group-stage match against Japan at 7 p.m. on March 7. Korea will then face Taiwan at 12 p.m. on March 8, and Australia at 7 p.m. on March 9 in the final group-stage match. In an earlier game, Australia defeated Taiwan 3-0.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.