Japan beats Korea 13-4: WBC live updates and score
The World Baseball Classic continued on Friday morning, as Shohei Ohtani and Japan handled the Republic of Korea.
Korea took a 3-0 lead in the third inning, but it was all Japan thereafter, as the latter proceeded to score 13 runs. Prior to Friday, the pair of Pool B teams opened the WBC in opposing fashion, as Korea lost to Australia, 8-7, while Japan defeated China, 8-1.
Here are the top plays from the game!
FINAL: Japan 13, Republic of Korea 4
We're off!
Yu Darvish pitched a one-two-three first inning for Japan in front of an amped-up crowd.
Korea strikes first
Baekho Kang led off the top of the third for the Republic of Korea with a double to left-center field.
The next batter, Euiji Yang, unloaded on a two-run home run to left field, giving Korea a 2-0 lead.
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Korea took a 2-0 lead over Japan after Euji Yang took Yu Darvish deep to left field for a home run.
Make it three
With two outs in the top of the third, Jung Hoo Lee punched out a base hit to right field, scoring Korea's third run of the inning.
Japan strikes back
Japan got the first two batters of the bottom of the third on the basepaths before getting on the board. The third batter of the inning, Lars Nootbaar, hit an RBI single to right-center field, putting runners on the corners with nobody out.
The next batter, Kensuke Kondoh, hit a double off the bottom of the center field wall, driving in another run and putting runners on second and third. It also knocked starting pitcher Kwang Hyun Kim out of the game.
Lead change
Tae-in Won came into the game for Korea.
After Ohtani was intentionally walked and Munetaka Murakami popped up, Masataka Yoshida gave Japan the lead with a two-run single to center field.
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Japan took a 4-3 lead over Korea after base hits by Lars Nootbaar, Kensuke Kondoh and Masataka Yoshida.
Japan pitching change
Darvish was relieved by Shota Imanaga, who pitched a one-two-three fourth inning.
What a play!
With a three-player collision looming in the outfield grass, Nootbaar pulled off an amazing, head-first diving grab.
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Japan's Lars Nootbaar laid out in left field to make a ridiculous grab.
Juuust outta here
Kondoh got a hold of Won's curveball, hitting it just over the right field wall for a solo home run. It gave Japan a 5-3 lead.
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Japan took a 5-3 lead over Korea after Kensuke Kondoh belted a home run.
Productive outs
Directly after the solo home run and a pitching change, Ohtani doubled down the right field line off Korea's Been Gwak, as shown below. Then a groundout to first base and a sacrifice fly to the right field wall scored Ohtani for Japan's sixth run.
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Japan's Shohei Ohtani belted a double down the right field line vs. Korea.
Got one back
Korea cut into Japan's lead in the top of the sixth when Kunwoo Park smacked an opposite field, solo home run to right.
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Kunwoo Park crushed a home run to bring Korea to a 6-4 deficit with Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
Blowing it open
Takumu Nakano legged out a triple to begin what became an eventful bottom of the sixth for Japan.
A walk and a hit by pitch then loaded the bases for Japan, which was followed by Kondoh walking in a run. The next batter, Ohtani, singled in a run, moving everyone up a bag.
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Shohei Ohtani extended Japan's lead over Korea after roping an RBI single.
Murakami then hit a sacrifice fly to left-center field, which was followed by RBI singles from Yoshida and Kazuma Okamoto.
Japan tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch and later a walk to take a 13-4 lead. That would be the final score.
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