(LEAD) (WBC) Much-maligned S. Korean pitchers come through in high-stakes game
2026.03.09 23:59
(LEAD) (WBC) Much-maligned S. Korean pitchers come through in high-stakes game
(ATTN: ADDS comments at bottom)
By Yoo Jee-ho
TOKYO, March 9 (Yonhap) -- With the team's fate hanging in the balance, South Korean pitchers rose to the occasion at the World Baseball Classic on Monday, combining for a clutch performance to send the country to the quarterfinals.
Starter Son Ju-young and six relievers held Australia to five hits in a 7-2 victory at Tokyo Dome as South Korea grabbed the final berth out of Pool C for the quarterfinals.
To win a complicated tiebreaker and move on to the knockout round, South Korea had to defeat Australia by at least five runs while also holding it to two or fewer runs.
South Korea's bats did their part by opening up a 5-0 lead by the fifth inning, but they still needed help from the pitching side.
The pitchers, who had given up a tournament-worst eight home runs over the three previous games, had their plans thrown out of whack after just one inning. After giving up a single and a walk in a shaky first inning, Son stopped his warmup for the second inning and called for a trainer.
Moments later, Son walked off the field with what team officials later said was elbow discomfort.
Noh Kyung-eun, the oldest player on the team with his 42nd birthday coming up in two days, gave South Korea two valuable, scoreless innings. He ended the second inning by snaring a comebacker by Robbie Perkins and then let out a primal scream on his way back to the dugout.
While Noh held down the fort, the lineup added two more runs to build a 4-0 lead.
So Hyeong-jun surrendered a solo home run to Robbie Glendinning but nothing else over his two innings of work. Then Park Yeong-hyun executed a deft escape act, erasing a runner he'd allowed on a hit-by-pitch with a double play ball off the bat of Aaron Whitefield in the bottom sixth. Park successfully kept South Korea up by 6-1 at that point.
It was now up to Dane Dunning in the seventh to keep things that way, but he walked the first batter he faced before allowing a dribbler of an infield hit to Jarryd Dale.
Glendinning, he of the solo shot off So earlier, presented a big hurdle, but Dunning got him to bounce into a double play with a 1-1 sinker.
Dunning then struck out Rixon Wingrove on three pitches.
South Korea walked the tightrope in the bottom eighth. Kim Taek-yeon issued a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt move the runner into scoring position.
Travis Bazzana slapped an RBI single that cut South Korea's lead to 6-2, meaning South Korea would now have to score another run later. But first things first, its pitchers had to stop the bleeding.
Jo Byeong-hyeon came on to take over from Kim, but he walked Curtis Mead to push Bazzana into scoring position. With one out, Australia was a base hit away from ending South Korea's dreams.
Jo dug deep and struck out Whitefield with a high fastball and then retired Alex Hall, on a pop fly.
Jo's teammates picked him up by scoring the seventh run in the top ninth to restore a five-run margin. Jo then responded in kind by keeping Australia off the board in the bottom ninth and securing the quarterfinal spot.
Dunning, who escaped that seventh-inning jam, said he was determined not to let Australia score.
"Get ahead, don't let them score. That was the only thing that was going through my head," he said. "Just leave it out there, trying to do my best, make the best pitches I can make and you know, hopefully everything put it in God's hands and just let him do it."
Dunning had given up a big homer to Stuart Fairchild of Chinese Taipei the previous night but the half-Korean right-hander said he tried to "flush it out and go out there and do my business" on Monday.
As for joining the national team for this run, Dunning said the experience has been "so much fun."
"This team is a lot of fun to play with, a lot of fun to interact with," he said, beaming. "It's a really good group of guys, a lot of talent on this team. But it's a good mix between young and older players. It's been really fun and very unique experience for me. And I'm excited that we're not done yet."
Noh said afterward he had been preparing to get into the game in the early innings, though he obviously didn't think it would be the second inning.
"I also didn't think I would end up throwing two innings," Noh said with a smile. "But I just gave it every ounce of my energy. I think I finally proved why I was selected to this team and it lifted some burden off my shoulders."
As for how he's going to approach the next phase in Miami, Noh said, "We're going to enjoy it and do our best."
"This is my last time on the national team and I am lucky to be part of the team going to the quarterfinals," he said. "I know I've had so much support from back home and I am honored to have rewarded them with this victory."
As for his upcoming birthday, Noh said, "I think I will celebrate it on our chartered flight. It's going to be a special one."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)
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