Korea's national baseball team narrowly lost to Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. However, it was a fierce, memorable game that even Japan's top star Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) praised after the game.
Korea lost 6-8 to Japan in the second game of Pool C at the 2026 WBC at Tokyo Dome on the 7th. Although they took an early lead in the game, they could not withstand Japan's powerful lineup.
In the top of the first, Kim Do-young (KIA) and Jermaine Jones (Detroit) produced consecutive hits to create a no-out, runners at first and third chance, and Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco)'s run-scoring hit and Moon Bo-gyeong (LG)'s two-run double put them ahead 3-0. But Korea's lead did not last long. In the bottom of the first, Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) hit a two-run home run to chase, and in the third inning Ohtani hit a game-tying solo home run to bring the game back to even. Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida (Boston) then hit back-to-back home runs to take the lead.
In the top of the fourth, Kim Hye-sung (Dodgers) hit a two-run home run to tie the game again. The tightly contested game continued until the bottom of the seventh, when with two outs and the bases loaded Suzuki drew a run-scoring walk to give Japan the lead again, and Yoshida added a two-run run-scoring hit to seal the game. In the top of the eighth, with two outs and runners on first and second, Kim Joo-won hit a run-scoring single to cut the deficit by one, but no further runs were scored.
With the win, Japan moved to 2-0 and topped Pool C alongside Australia (2-0). Korea fell to 1-1 and dropped to third in the group. The losing streak in Korea-Japan matchups, which has continued since the 2015 Premier12 semifinal victory of 4-3, extended to 11 straight losses.
Ohtani, Japan's top star, led Japan's victory batting cleanup as the designated hitter, going 2 for 2 with a home run, one RBI, three runs and two walks. Ohtani, who won MVP while leading Japan to its third overall WBC title in the last tournament, has once again shown remarkable performance in this tournament, hitting .833 (5-for-6) with two home runs, six RBIs, four runs and an OPS of 2.875 in two games.
After a hard-fought game against Korea, Ohtani said in a postgame interview, "It was a really great game. It was a game where it wouldn't have been surprising if either team won." He added about his third-inning game-tying home run, "It was a one-run game in the third, and I was trying to hit a good ball in the plate, and it turned out to be a better swing than I expected."
Ohtani, after the win, did not forget to show respect for Korea, his worthy opponent in the classic game. Japanese outlet Sports Nippon Annex reported, "Ohtani said, 'Korea plays baseball as precise and detailed as Japan. I really felt they have a great lineup. I think they are a team that makes your palms sweat,' saying it with respect," the outlet reported.
Aiming for back-to-back titles following the last tournament, Ohtani said, "In short tournaments there are always tough games, as in the last time. If you win that game, team cohesion increases. It's truly fortunate we were able to seize today's win. I think it will have a positive effect going forward," expressing his happiness that the Korea-Japan victory will help the WBC title challenge.
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