*This content was translated by AI.
"It was the first time I was so nervous, leading by five points."
This is the words of an official who watched on TV the first round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) match between Korea and Australia at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 9th.
The dramatic results of the Korean national baseball team (manager Ryu Ji-hyun) against Australia and the miraculous advance to the quarterfinals are lingering. This is because even after meeting the number of cases of advancing to the quarterfinals throughout the game, they were quickly on the verge of elimination and made them hopeful again.
As it was known, South Korea had to achieve both "within two runs" and "winning by more than five points" against Australia to advance to the final tournament in Miami, USA as the second place in the group. In other words, they had to win with scores such as '5-0', '6-1', or '7-2'.
The 'God of Baseball' seemed to know and enjoy the situation. South Korea led 5-0 until the top of the fifth inning and became 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, and made 6-1 in the top of the sixth inning to cheer, but it was again 6-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, casting a shadow of elimination. However, he added one run in the top of the ninth inning and blocked the bottom of the ninth inning without allowing a run to complete a lie-like 7-2 victory.
In the process, the players did their best to score one more point, and they devoted themselves to not conceding one point. The entire squad became one and everyone was a hero.
◇ when it's 5-0
In the bottom of the fifth inning, South Korea's second pitcher Soh Hyung-joon was hit by an unexpected blow. The 137km/h changeup thrown to the leadoff batter Robbie Glendinning drove to the center and gave up a solo home run in the middle. The score was 5-1, and it was eliminated at this rate.
However, Soh Hyung-joon saved the spark of hope by striking out the next three batters with two strikeouts and an infield grounder without shaking. He threw 36 pitches, the most among Korean pitchers who took the mound on the day, and pitched two innings of one hit, two strikeouts, and one run. Thanks to that, Korea continued its dream of going to Miami again by adding one run with Park Dong-won's double and Kim Do-young's timely hit in the top of the sixth inning.
◇ when it's 6-1
Park Young-hyun, who took the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning, gave Curtis Mead a hit ball after one out. The next batter is Aaron Whitefield. It was a desperate moment when everything could go up in smoke because one home run allowed three runs.
Park Young-hyun was calm. He threw a low cutter (136km/h) outside the fifth pitch at the ball count of 2-2 to Whitefield, leading to a double play leading to shortstop, second baseman and first baseman to end the inning without losing a point.
◇ when it's 7-2
South Korea, which was on the verge of being eliminated 6-2 by giving up one point in the bottom of the eighth inning, scored an extra point like a thousand gold in the top of the ninth inning with Kim Do-young's walk, opponent's error, and Ahn Hyun-min's sacrifice fly to center field.
the end of the ninth inning of fate. Now, if I caught three outcounts, I was confirmed to go to Miami. On the mound, closer Cho Byung-hyun stood with everything on his shoulders.
A crisis is upon us. He allowed a walk to Chris Burke after one out. The fifth pitch from the ball count 2-2 to the next batter, Rixon Wingrove, is a high four-seam fastball (146km/h) in the middle. The well-hit ball extended to right-center of the outfield. At that time, there was a fielder who ran like the wind and caught the ball sliding. It was right fielder Lee Jung-hoo, the 'grandchild of the wind'. Everyone swept their hearts.
The runner is on first base with two outs. While there was still a breathtaking tension in each ball, Cho Byung-hyun threw two balls in a row to Logan Wade and sprayed a four-seam fastball (146) in the middle of the third pitch.
The ball floated high in the infield, and first baseman Moon Bo-kyung calmly caught it. And cheers and tears. It was the first time in 17 years that the Korean baseball team advanced to the quarterfinals of the WBC.
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*This content was translated by AI.
