Korea overwhelmed by Japan
Pitchers, offense struggles as mercy rule invoked in loss
eight runs on seven hits in just 1 1/3 innings.
real time posted:Saturday, March 07, 2009 10:37:00 PM
TOKYO -- A much-anticipated pitching match-up between Korea's Kwang Hyun Kim and Daisuke Matsuzaka of Japan never materialized in Game 4 of Pool A action at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
Instead, it was a hitters' game, as the Japanese caught the Koreans on an off-night and won by the mercy rule after seven innings, 14-2.
The 20-year-old Kim did not appear his usual self in front of a packed house of 45,640 spectators at Tokyo Dome, giving up three runs on four hits in the top of the first inning with the big blow a two-run double down the left-field line off the bat of Seiichi Uchikawa.
Korea answered with a pair of runs off Matsuzaka in the bottom of the frame on a two-run blast by cleanup hitter Tae Kyun Kim. The shot caromed off a beer advertising billboard high above the left-field bleachers, but it would be all the Korean team's offense for the evening.
Kwang Hyun Kim was taken out in the top of the second as Japan scored five times. No. 4 hitter Shuichi Murata hit a three-run home run to left, his second homer of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Matsuzaka settled down, holding the Koreans scoreless for three innings, and Korea simply could not get anything going against three Japanese relievers.
Japan added a ninth run in the top of the fourth and two more in the fifth, increasing the lead to 11-2 and prompting the Tokyo Dome scoreboard to flash a message reminding the fans of the tournament rule regarding early termination for large leads when a team is ahead by 10 or more runs after completing the seventh inning.
Catcher Kenji Johjima put Japan over the top and in position for the early victory with a two-run homer in the top of the sixth.
After going 0-for-5 in the tournament's first game against China, Japan leadoff man Ichiro Suzuki broke out of a slump with three hits, including a single in the first that got things going.
About his starting pitcher, Korean manager In Sik Kim said, "Kwang Hyun Kim is only 20. He's young and does not have enough experience, so he was nervous facing the Major League hitters (such as Ichiro, Johjima and Akinori Iwamura). He has pitched well against Japan before, but tonight his condition was not good, and he could not locate his pitches well."
Manager Kim took the loss in stride, saying, "A 14-2 loss is the same as losing 1-0. A loss is a loss."
Korea now faces China in an elimination game on Sunday night, and Japan, assured of advancement to Round 2, will play the winner in the Pool A finale Monday.
"We have to forget about it and concentrate on tomorrow night's game (against China). We must win tomorrow, or we will have no game on Monday." said the Korean skipper.