Manager Ryu Ji-hyun watches the game. (TOKYO=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim In-chul = The 2026 WBC Group C second match between South Korea and Japan, held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 7th. South Korean manager Ryu Ji-hyun watches the game in the bottom of the 8th inning. 2026.3.7 yatoya@yna.co.kr

South Korean baseball fought neck and neck with Japan until the late innings but suffered a regrettable defeat.

South Korea lost to Japan 6-8 in their second Group C match of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 7th.

With one win and one loss, South Korea will play their third game against Taiwan at the same venue at noon on the 8th. The game against Taiwan, which has one win and two losses, is a crucial match that will determine South Korea's advancement to the quarterfinals.

South Korea has not been able to escape an absolute disadvantage against Japan in international tournaments with professional players, having recorded one draw and eleven losses since defeating Japan 4-3 in the semifinals of the 2015 WBSC Premier12.

Kim Do-young of South Korea hits a single from his first at-bat. (TOKYO=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim In-chul = The 2026 WBC Group C second match between South Korea and Japan, held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 7th. Kim Do-young of South Korea hits a ground ball single to left field as the leadoff batter in the top of the 1st inning. 2026.3.7 yatoya@yna.co.kr

South Korea started the game with the following batting order: Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) - Jermai Jones (Detroit Tigers) - Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) - Ahn Hyun-min (KT Wiz) - Shea Whitman (Houston Astros) - Moon Bo-kyung (LG Twins) - Kim Ju-won (NC Dinos) - Park Dong-won (LG) - Kim Hye-seong (Los Angeles Dodgers).

Japan's lineup was Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) - Kensuke Kondo (SoftBank Hawks) - Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs) - Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox) - Kazuma Okamoto (Toronto Blue Jays) - Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox) - Shugo Maki (Yokohama DeNA BayStars) - Sōsuke Genda (Seibu Lions) - Seishiro Sakamoto (Hanshin Tigers).

The starting pitchers for both teams were Ko Young-pyo (KT) for South Korea and Yusei Kikuchi (Los Angeles Angels) for Japan.

Ko Young-pyo is removed from the game. (TOKYO=Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Hwa-young = The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Group C second match between South Korea and Japan, held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 7th. South Korean starter Ko Young-pyo is removed from the game after allowing solo home runs to Shohei Ohtani and Seiya Suzuki of Japan in the bottom of the 3rd inning. 2026.3.7 hwayoung7@yna.co.kr

Both teams scored runs from the first inning, foreshadowing a fierce battle.

In the top of the first, South Korea had a chance with runners on first and third after leadoff batter Kim Do-young's ground ball single to left and Jones's single to center. Lee Jung-hoo followed with a single to left, scoring the first run.

With runners on first and second and two outs, Moon Bo-kyung's hit split the left-center field, extending the lead to 3-0 in an instant.

However, Japan immediately responded in the bottom of the first, chasing the lead with a two-run homer by Suzuki following Ohtani's leadoff walk.

Furthermore, in the bottom of the third, Ohtani hit a go-ahead solo homer to right, followed by a left-field home run by Suzuki and a continuous string of home runs by Yoshida to right, turning the game around to 5-3.

This moment brought back the nightmare of the 2023 WBC, where South Korea also scored three runs first against Japan but lost heavily 4-13.

Kim Hye-seong's game-tying two-run homer! (TOKYO=Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Hwa-young = The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Group C second match between South Korea and Japan, held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 7th. Kim Hye-seong of South Korea celebrates after hitting a two-run home run with a runner on first base in the top of the 4th inning. 2026.3.7 hwayoung7@yna.co.kr

But this year was different.

In the top of the fourth, after Kim Ju-won reached base on a hit-by-pitch, Kim Hye-seong hit a game-tying two-run homer over the right-center field fence off Japan's second pitcher, Hiromi Ito (Nippon-Ham Fighters).

A 5-5 tie continued until the top of the seventh inning, when Japan broke the deadlock by scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Park Young-hyun (KT) allowed Maki to reach base on a walk to lead off, and after two outs and a runner on third, Ohtani was intentionally walked.

The new pitcher, Kim Young-gyu (NC), allowed Kondo to walk, loading the bases with two outs. Suzuki then forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk, putting South Korea behind again at 5-6.

Yoshida then drove in two more runs with a single to center, extending the lead to 8-5 and sealing the victory.

Lee Jung-hoo 'Safe!' (TOKYO=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim In-chul = The 2026 WBC Group C second match between South Korea and Japan, held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 7th. Lee Jung-hoo of South Korea slides safely into second base after hitting a single in the top of the 8th inning with no outs. 2026.3.7 yatoya@yna.co.kr

South Korea did not back down.

Immediately in the top of the eighth, Lee Jung-hoo led off with a double he earned with his speed. After two outs, Moon Bo-kyung walked, and then Kim Ju-won hit an RBI single to center, scoring one run.

The bases were loaded with two outs, but Kim Hye-seong struck out against Japan's fourth pitcher, Yuki Matsubayashi (SoftBank), effectively deciding the outcome of the game.

In the batting lineup, Jones and Lee Jung-hoo each had two hits, while Moon Bo-kyung and Kim Hye-seong were responsible for two RBIs each.

Starting pitcher Ko Young-pyo gave up four runs on three home runs in 2⅔ innings.