Korea vs. Japan Game Highlights | 2023 World Baseball Classic

So many storylines between these two teams to get into the storyline in this pool and perhaps the tournament the return of Shohei Otani back home playing baseball in his home country for the first time in six years he started the opener against China and helped Japan hold off a fight from the Chinese to open pool play with a victory so they're in the top spot Korea lost in stunning fashion to Australia in what was considered a do or die game. Now this is really a must win game for Team Korea seasoned veteran you Darvish. It's about getting ahead and finish him quickly. They're on the defense when they're at bat and then feeding off the environment. I mean it's palpable. He was thick air. He could cut right through it ground ball to second base. Maki will throw out Edmonds KBO sensation Jung who Lee won two pitch from Darvish. Now he goes the other way. Jung who raging over his Yoshida a 1 2 3 first inning for you Darvish Team Korea handing the ball to one of the most accomplished Korean born pitchers ever with their World Baseball classic hopes hanging in the balance among him Kim as new bar skies one for Jung who Lee and right center field one down right to pitching hitters count three one. How about we go off speed and get superb on that fastball swing just upset with his timing. Try another three to Kondo. He did not hold up. So after striking out his former or retiring rather his former cardinal teammate he strikes out Kondo just the whole vibe around Shohei Ohtani including batting practice which is a spectacle. Another three to this time Kim gets so tiny back to back strikeouts Korea's left handed starter to end the first inning for five and six do up for team Korea dirty first strikeout for Darvish getting part come apart earning in right field one one shot the other way to right field Kondo back and underneath Darvish and sent him down in order the first two frames of work trying to find that swing. Yes swing that helped him reach superstar levels in twenty twenty two youngest player in MPV history to hit for the triple crown called out strike three that's three tickets punched in a row by Kim after the E4 Yoshida in scoring position for Kazuma Okamoto strike three swinging he's got the punch out at him here tonight on the second baseman Shugo Maki to the Maki strike three swinging a lot of K's for K.K. that's five through two innings a cocaine in scoring position 3G Yang we're talking about one of the best clutch hitters in this lineup Yang with a high drive to deep left field he's done it again with a two run blast to give Korea a two nothing lead in the third Stephen does exactly what team Korea needed early in the game to have an opportunity for men in scoring position clutch power the reigning KBO MVP in Jung Lee singles through the right side rounding third is him to throw home from Kondo is high to the backstop at second base now is Jung who Lee is Korea leads three nothing just this beautiful fluid smooth swing gets the ball to right field and again great angle taken by Kim rounding third base all pressure on the outfielder another bad throw from team Japan that's in the air to left field back toward the wall Yoshida he makes the catch right in front that ends a long third inning for you Darvish scheduled to be Lars Newport who flew out in the first inning fastball grounded in the center field by Newport touch on get some of Japan on the board yes Lars you matter a whole lot to this crowd and in this environment that's just a great piece of hitting right through the box first and third still nobody out Kondo with a fly ball to center field lead back at the track it bounces off the wall one Ronald score holding up at third base is new bar after the RBI double for Kondo maximizing opportunities again look away he's going to go out there and try to pinpoint all that fastball then to get you off the plate it did not work ground ball from Yoshida could end the threat new bar on third Kondo on second Ohtani on first base the pitch hit the center field new bar scores here comes Kondo Samurai Japan is in front built up the environment and the energy in this ballpark before the game and it truly is played out the way we expected classic environment to to pitch right back to take in one who tries to double up Ohtani at second base but he had already slid back safely that's a good play that ball was squared up hockey was the fifth batter in this order to strike out facing one whom Kim has since been chased from the game look at Tien one fielding his position for the last two outs of the third it was a long one twenty nine year old left handers for the base stars in Yokohama. Oh hey how about the pitchers today. Keep them busy. Day and one for Korea and Imanaga now for Team Japan. A song Kim searching for his first hit in this world baseball classic. This is trouble. Did you. Well again talk about the read you talk about the effort and on the replay getting applauded that is a full body effort. Lay out large get it done. Japan for Korea three Kondo skies on the right field at the track is Park. It's gone. Ken's Kondo giving Samurai Japan a two run lead in the bottom of the fifth. That is why he is known around here as a hitting machine. Ken's Kondo just let off this inning with a solo home run. So he gets to him ripping a ball down the line and right gets all the way to the corner and that's a stand up double for old Tony's on Tony will advance to third Masataka Yoshida gave Japan the lead in that third inning two for two. Will they be three for three. No Park runs it down but deep enough six three second strike this one swing for Park. Let's put in the air to right field well hit and out of here Kunwoo Park giving some life back to team Korea pulling them to within two ninety six miles an hour covering the outer half as they say well allow somebody else to provide the power bases loaded. Nobody out. Let's get Kondo three to pitch misses high bases loaded walk back to a three run game. Control he makes a pitching change. Shohei Ohtani is due up not allowing showing to get too familiar with anybody first pitch roped in a right field. Oh Tony comes through Japan's lead is for Hokkaido. So many memories showing such a great student of the game you see him every time there's a pitching change he goes out there and gets his information gets all whatever he needs in terms of patterns pitches tendencies bases loaded for Murakami. I call the sky high and left center field. Newt Barr tags up there will not be a play nine for ball game first and second one down Yoshida. Was she to have a night his fourth stake in Japan's 10th run Okamoto in his home yard facing a one to count gets a barrel on it gets it into the gap in left center field. Here comes Ohtani and a seven run Japanese lead bases are loaded. It could lead to a superb reaction in this ballpark. One swing away bounces away everyone will move up twelve to four inside and bases remain loaded. Make it nine top nine time and folks do not turn away from this. Hiroto Takahashi the youngest player on the Japanese roster in this world baseball classic and perhaps the nastiest which is saying something. That's three and strikeout one in the world baseball classic for Takahashi two down. G Young Korea down to its last strike little chopper to short summit on Japan routes its rival and moves to 2 and 0 in Colby.