On the 7th at Tokyo Dome in Japan, the World Baseball Classic (WBC) group-stage C-group Korea-Japan match.
Loud applause erupted throughout the stadium for the gritty play of Korea national team infielder Moon Bo-gyeong. Japanese media also praised Moon Bo-gyeong.
Korea put Go Young-pyo on the mound as the starting pitcher. The starting lineup was designated hitter Kim Do-young - left fielder Jmy Jones - center fielder Lee Jung-hoo - right fielder Ahn Hyun-min - third baseman Shay Whitcomb - first baseman Moon Bo-gyeong - shortstop Kim Joo-won - catcher Park Dong-won - second baseman Kim Hye-sung.
Japan set a starting batting order of designated hitter Shohei Ohtani - right fielder Gondo Kensuke - center fielder Suzuki Seiya - left fielder Yoshida Masataka - third baseman Okamoto Kazuma - first baseman Murakami Munetaka - second baseman Maki Shugo - shortstop Genda Sosuke - catcher Sakamoto Seishiro. The starting pitcher was left-hander Kikuchi Yusei.
According to Japanese sports outlet Sports Hochi, in the seventh inning with the game tied, Japan's attack continued. The second pitch thrown to leadoff batter Maki Shugo resulted in a fly ball that rose into the first-base foul area.
First baseman Moon Bo-gyeong chased the ball all the way, collided hard with the fence near first base and collapsed. Kamei Yoshiyuki, a coach for the Japan national team who was in the first-base coach box, also approached with a worried expression.
After a brief stoppage in play, Moon Bo-gyeong got up on his own a few minutes later and continued playing. The crowd that filled Tokyo Dome gave him a big round of applause for his fighting spirit.
Praise from fans continued on X (formerly Twitter). "Applause that makes no distinction between foe and friend, this is sportsmanship," "a great fighting spirit," "applause for a courageous play," and other voices of praise poured in.
Moon Bo-gyeong also showed a presence at the plate that day. In the first inning with two outs and runners on first and second, he ripped a double to left-center, bringing both runners home. Earlier, in the game against the Czech Republic on the 5th, he also starred with a first-inning grand slam among a performance of 3 at-bats, 2 hits, 5 RBIs and 2 runs.
Although the game was narrowly lost 6-8, Moon Bo-gyeong's fighting spirit and performance left a strong impression on fans.
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