Ryu Jihyun's Team Suffers 6-8 Comeback Loss to Japan in WBC... 12th Straight Winless Game in Korea-Japan Rivalry

Despite Grabbing Early Momentum with Three Runs in the First Inning
Falls Behind as Japan Belts Four Home Runs for a Comeback Victory

The South Korean national baseball team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, suffered another come-from-behind defeat against Japan, extending their winless streak to 12 games in the Korea-Japan rivalry.

On March 7, at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, South Korea lost to Japan 6-8 in the second game of Pool C in the first round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC). South Korea took an early lead by scoring three runs in the first inning but then allowed a barrage of home runs and lost the lead to Japan. Although Kim Hyesung's home run tied the game, a series of walks in the bottom of the seventh inning led to their defeat.

After an 11-4 victory over the Czech Republic in the first game, manager Ryu Ji-hyun kept the starting lineup unchanged and only adjusted the batting order. Shay Whitcomb, who hit two home runs in the first game, was moved up from sixth to fifth in the order, while Moon Bokyung moved down from fifth to sixth. In addition, the batting positions of Kim Juwon and Kim Hyesung were switched, with Kim Juwon batting seventh and Kim Hyesung ninth.

Korea national baseball team player Kim Hyesung hit a two-run home run in the top of the 4th inning with one out and a runner on first base, tying the game 5-5 against Japan in the second game of Group C's first round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held at Tokyo Dome on the 7th. Tokyo=Yonhap News Agency

In the top of the first inning, South Korea aggressively targeted Japan's starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi and succeeded in scoring multiple runs. Leadoff hitter Kim Doyeong hit a single through the gap between third base and shortstop on the second pitch, followed by No. 2 hitter Jermaine Jones, who attacked the first pitch to create a no-out situation with runners on first and third. Then, No. 3 hitter Lee Junghoo hit the first pitch for an RBI single, giving South Korea the lead.

With runners on first and second and no outs, No. 4 hitter Ahn Hyeonmin struck out, and No. 5 Shay Whitcomb was out on a fly ball to second base, but No. 6 Moon Bokyung delivered a two-run double, extending the lead to 3-0. Moon's hit barely eluded the opposing center fielder, allowing both runners to score.

Japan responded immediately. In the bottom of the first inning, Japan closed the gap by scoring two runs. South Korea's starter Ko Youngpyo gave up a two-run home run to Japan's No. 3 hitter Seiya Suzuki.

In the second inning, both starting pitchers settled down. Ko Youngpyo and Kikuchi each recorded two strikeouts and retired the opposing batters in order.

After failing to capitalize on a one-out, runners on first and second opportunity in the top of the third, South Korea surrendered the lead in the bottom of the third. Ko Youngpyo gave up three home runs to Shohei Ohtani, Seiya Suzuki, and Masataka Yoshida, turning the score to 3-5 in favor of Japan.

South Korea immediately tied the game again in the top of the fourth inning. Batting ninth, Kim Hyesung hit a two-run home run off Japan's second pitcher Hiromi Ito, who won last year's Sawamura Award, evening the score at 5-5.

However, the Korean offense fell silent after that. From the fifth to the seventh inning, South Korea was retired in order in three consecutive innings, and then allowed three runs on defense in the bottom of the seventh, losing control of the game.

Walks proved to be costly. The fifth pitcher, Park Younghyun, issued a walk to leadoff hitter Shugo Maki, putting himself in a difficult situation. After a sacrifice bunt and a groundout to first, there were two outs with a runner on third, and Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked, resulting in runners on first and third with two outs.

Kim Younggyu, who came in as the sixth pitcher, walked both Kensuke Kondoh and Seiya Suzuki in succession, forcing in a run. With the bases loaded and two outs, Masataka Yoshida then hit an RBI single, extending Japan's lead to 8-5.

Ryu Ji-hyun, head coach of the South Korean national baseball team, is watching the second match of Pool C, Round 1 of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) against Japan held at Tokyo Dome on the 7th. Tokyo=Yonhap News Agency

South Korea managed to get one run back in the top of the eighth inning. Leadoff batter Lee Junghoo advanced to second base with aggressive baserunning and scored on Kim Juwon's RBI single. However, in the top of the ninth, South Korea was retired in order, ending the game with a 6-8 loss.

With this result, South Korea remains winless in its last 12 games against Japan. The last time South Korea's national team, composed of professional players, defeated Japan was in the semifinals of the 2015 Premier12, organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), when South Korea beat Japan 4-3. Since then, South Korea has lost 10 consecutive games to Japan, and finally broke the losing streak with a 7-7 tie thanks to Kim Juwon's two-out, game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning during the second game of the K-Baseball Series at the Tokyo Dome in November last year.

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