Japan slugger Seiya Suzuki hits a two-run homer in the first inning against South Korea in a World Baseball Classic Pool C game at Tokyo Dome on March 7, 2026. (©KYODO)
Samurai Japan overcame a 3-0 deficit en route to a dramatic 8-6 triumph over South Korea in a World Baseball Classic Pool C game on Saturday night, March 7.
With two outs in the seventh inning, pinch runner Taisei Makihara scored the go-ahead run when Seiya Suzuki walked with the bases loaded. That gave the hosts a 6-5 lead.
The next batter, Masataka Yoshida, followed with a two-run single to center off reliever Young Kyu Kim to give Japan a three-run cushion at Tokyo Dome.
South Korea pulled within 8-6 in the eighth on a Ju Won Kim single but couldn't regain the lead.
With the win, reigning champion Japan improved to 2-0 in the tournament. On Friday, manager Hirokazu Ibata's squad trounced Taiwan 13-0 in a game called after seven innings due to the mercy rule.
Entering the 2026 WBC, three-time champion Japan had a 30-8 all-time record in the tournament, and South Korea was 17-9.
As expected, the fierce rivals played an intense, hard-fought game.
"Every time we play them it's always a heated game," Suzuki said in an on-field interview posted on the tournament's official Facebook page as a video reel. "We knew going in they weren't going to let us win easily."
The Chicago Cubs slugger added, "So grinding out this team win means a lot to us and creates great momentum."
A Rough Start for Japan Pitcher Kikuchi
In the first inning, South Korea's first three batters, Do Yeong Kim, Jahmai Jones and Jung Ho Lee ripped successive line-drive singles off Japan southpaw starter Yusei Kikuchi.
Kim scored on Lee's hit.
Three batters later, Bo Gyeong Moon clubbed a two-run double to left to make it 3-0.
Japan's players didn't panic. Instead, they embraced the competitive challenge that they faced.
In the bottom of the first, leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani walked. After a Kensuke Kondoh groundout, Suzuki smacked a two-run homer to right-center, pouncing on starter Young Pyo Kyo's 3-2 changeup.
The Korean' three-run advantage was quickly cut to one.
A few hours later, Ohtani described Suzuki's first-inning homer as "probably the biggest moment" of the game.
He then said, "That gave us our confidence back. … [And] I think the first two-run homer was huge for us."
It was a sign of things to come.
In the post-game press conference, Ohtani, one of the driving forces behind the Los Angeles Dodgers' back-to-back World Series titles in 2024 and '25, spoke about the character of this Japan vs South Korea showdown.
In short, he called it "a wonderful game."
Impressive Display of Offensive Power
The bottom of the third inning contributed to that accurate portrayal.
Specifically, the home half of the third was a showcase for some of Samurai Japan's top hitters.
With one out, Ohtani crushed a solo shot over the fence in right-center, tying it at 3-3. He had a grand slam in the previous game.
With two outs, Suzuki belted a bases-empty homer to left-center, going deep on Ko's 1-1 offering, a curveball. As a result, Japan took the lead for the first time.
Asked later about his mindset when he stepped into the batter's box in the third inning, Suzuki said, "I wasn't thinking about anything in particular but about creating good momentum for my teammates hitting after me.
"So having that attitude shaped that result," added Suzuki, who had 32 homers for the Cubs in the 2025 MLB season. "It was really rewarding."
After Suzuki's second homer of the night, South Korea manager Ji Hyun Ryu made a pitching change, bringing in reliever Byeong Hyeon Jo to face the hot-hitting Yoshida.
What happened next?
Yoshida bashed an 0-1 curveball over the right-field fence to make it 5-3. And Japan's fans cheered with unbridled enthusiasm.
"I'm glad I was able to hit after Shohei and Seiya," Yoshida said. "The game was tied, but I want to keep fighting."
After the game, Ibata commented on Japan's three homers in the third.
"That's the power of major leaguers for you," he told reporters.
Kim's Homer Makes it 5-5
Japan starter Kikuchi, who pitches for the Los Angeles Angels, worked three innings. The left-hander allowed six hits and three runs. He threw only 37 of 63 pitches for strikes but didn't walk a batter.
Right-hander Hiromi Itoh took over pitching duties in the fourth. He held the Koreans to one hit, but it was a game-changing play.
With one out in the fourth, South Korea regained the lead on second baseman Hyeseong Kim's two-run homer to right-center. That evened it up at 5-5.
During spring training for the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the WBC, Kim was 6-for-13 (.462) in Cactus League games in Arizona.
Itoh was stellar otherwise, striking out six in three innings of work. He didn't walk a batter.
Strong Contributions from Japan's Bullpen
Following Itoh's departure after the sixth inning, relievers Atsuki Taneichi, Yuki Matsumoto and Taisei Ota worked one scoreless inning apiece to wrap up the game.
Chiba Lotte Mariners hurler Taneichi, the winning pitcher, struck out the side in the seventh.
Matsumoto recorded a hold, and Ota got the save.
In addition to solid relief pitching and several big hits, Samurai Japan also got a big boost on defense from Ukyo Shuto, a defensive replacement in center field in the ninth inning. The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks veteran made a leaping catch at the wall to deny Jones an extra-base hit. Instead, it was the second out of the inning.
First baseman Kazuma Okamoto made an unassisted putout for the final out.
Top Hitters for Samurai Japan
Ohtani has a team-best .833 batting average in the tournament. He was 2-for-3 with three runs and two walks.
Yoshida, who was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, is batting .571.
Suzuki, who finished with four RBIs against South Korea, has a .429 average.
Shortstop Sosuke Genda, who went 3-for-3 against Taiwan, was 0-for-2 with a sacrifice on Saturday.
View from the Samurai Japan Dugout
"We've got a lot of young players, and they are keeping the energy level high even when we're losing," Suzuki was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "Today's game was really good."
Up Next
Japan faces Australia (2-0) in a 7 PM game on Sunday at Tokyo Dome.
In the early game, scheduled to start at 12 PM, Taiwan (1-2) takes on South Korea (1-1).
Taiwan rebounded from its 13-0 defeat on Friday by beating the Czech Republic 14-0 in Saturday's first game, which was called after seven innings. Stuart Fairchild had a second-inning grand slam for Taiwan. The Czechs fell to 0-3.
RELATED:
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- World Baseball Classic: Japan Feasts on Taiwan Pitching in 13-0 Rout
- ODDS and EVENS | Samurai Japan Vying for Back-to-Back WBC Titles
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
