'Zero Pros' Humiliated by Japan, 'Ultimately' Another Case of Possibilities... So Hyoung-jun and Jo Byung-hyun Collapse – Lineup Records Only 4 Hits → 0-5 Complete Defeat [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

This is a humiliation for Korean baseball. With no professional players fielded, South Korea suffered a disgraceful defeat against Japan. The situation has once again turned to relying on hypothetical scenarios.

The national team led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun lost 0-5 to Japan in the first match of the Super Round at the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Games, held on the 25th at Toyohashi Citizens Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Having secured three consecutive victories and advancing to the Super Round as group leaders, South Korea was expected to easily reach the finals with one win over Taiwan. However, being outplayed by Japan has made a guaranteed spot in the final uncertain.

Although the team under 25 years old Wi Ju-ro (CEO) roster included three wild card selections and was composed of players already at the top level of their leagues, unlike South Korea, Japan did not select even a single professional player despite being the host nation. The national team was built primarily from amateur (corporate) baseball players, most of whom have separate full-time jobs. This makes the defeat all the more humiliating.

The pitchers collapsed one after another. So Hyoung-jun (KT) started as the pitcher. Having pitched 114⅓ innings in 20 games this season with an 8-3 record and a 3.38 ERA, he was South Korea's top right-handed starting option. He had previously made his national team debut against Czech Republic in the group stage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held in March, pitching three scoreless innings and securing a victory. However, he crumbled against Japanese batters.

So Hyoung-jun faced early trouble in the first inning with a double and a hit-by-pitch but managed to escape without allowing any runs by inducing ground balls. He retired all three batters in the second inning but could not get through the third.

After giving up a double to leadoff batter Tsujimoto, So Hyoung-jun walked Soida with one out and then allowed a sacrifice fly by Mukoyama. With one out and runners on first and third, he surrendered another run on a ground ball from Aizawa. Mizutani's infield hit toward the shortstop area further contributed to additional runs, as NC shortstop Kim Ju-won committed an error on the throw.

The bullpen had no choice but to be deployed quickly. Kim Jin-wook (Lotte) allowed hits and walks but managed to shut out the opposition with two strikeouts in the inning. He also pitched a perfect game in the 5th, retiring all three batters.

However, Jo Byung-hyun (SSG), who entered in the 6th, also allowed runs. After giving up a double to Kumada, he walked a batter with one out and then recorded a strikeout. But with two outs and runners on first and second, Yano hit a sacrifice fly. Park Young-hyun (KT) came in quickly but was hit by Soida's hit, allowing further runs. The score gap widened to 0-5.

Although no additional runs were scored afterward, the lineup managed only four hits over nine innings and failed to score even a single run.

Taiwan, which lost 0-5 to South Korea in the group stage, defeated China 9-1. Ultimately, the final match scheduled for the 26th will determine who advances and who is eliminated.

South Korea's best-case scenario is to defeat China while hoping Japan beats Taiwan. In this case, Japan would finish with three wins, South Korea with two wins and one loss, and Taiwan with one win and two losses, leading to a final showdown between South Korea and Japan.

If teams are tied, the team balance index (TQB) will determine who advances to the finals. Defeating China would allow South Korea to qualify on its own. However, if South Korea loses to China, Taiwan's victory over Japan could lead to elimination, or the TQB may need to be considered.

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*This content was translated by AI.