'Could this really happen?' Kim Do-young's '4 at-bats, no hits' in the Korea-Japan game: a cruel silence. Lee Soon-chul and Lee Dae-ho deliver sharp words: "He seems to be under significant pressure; his anxious mindset has thrown off his balance."

*This content was translated by AI.

Was leadoff simply not the right fit for Kim Do-young (23)?

The Korean national baseball team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, suffered a decisive 0-5 defeat against Japan in the first match of the Super Round at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on the 25th at Toyohashi Citizens Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Had South Korea won this game, they could have secured a spot in the finals with a perfect record by defeating China, a team considered to be of slightly lower strength, on the following day. However, after suffering a blow from Japan today, the situation now requires hoping that Japan defeats Taiwan in their Super Round match tomorrow.

Today, South Korea fielded its starting lineup as follows: Kim Do-young (third baseman), Kim Ju-won (shortstop), Noh Si-hwan (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (designated hitter), Park Jun-soon (second baseman), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Jo Hyung-woo (catcher), Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), and Kim Ji-chan (center fielder).

Kim Do-young started as the leadoff hitter in the first group stage match against Taiwan on the 21st, recording one hit, one run scored, and two strikeouts in four at-bats.

In the subsequent match against Hong Kong on the 22nd, he batted third as a designated hitter, going 1-for-4 with one run, one walk, and one strikeout. He continued to start at the third spot against Thailand on the 23rd, achieving multi-hit performance with one hit in three at-bats, two RBIs, one run scored, and one walk.

However, when placed back in the leadoff spot today, he struggled to penetrate the Japanese pitching staff, finishing with four at-bats and no hits, remaining silent. Following the Korea-Japan match today, Kim Do-young's batting average for this tournament has dropped to 0.200 (3 hits in 15 at-bats).

In the top of the first inning, he appeared as the leadoff hitter and aggressively attacked the first pitch but was retired on a fly ball to second base.

Later, in the top of the fourth inning, he again batted leadoff but, with a 2-2 count, swung at the sixth pitch for a strikeout and was called out by a non-foul tip.

Today, South Korea struggled to find any openings, often ending their innings after just three batters through the sixth inning.

In the seventh inning as well, Kim Do-young appeared as the leadoff hitter and took a swing-and-miss strikeout on the fifth pitch with a 2-2 count.

Kim Do-young stepped up to the plate for his final at-bat in the bottom of the ninth inning when the team was trailing 0-5, with two outs and no runners on base. However, he was retired on a fly ball to right field, ultimately finishing the game without a hit.

Originally, Manager Ryu stated his intention to place Kim Do-young at the first spot in the lineup to ensure he would have as many at-bats as possible. This arrangement also meant that after the first inning, he could face situations with runners on base rather than always being the leadoff hitter. However, such opportunities rarely came today in the Korea-Japan match, and Kim Do-young remained silent.

Lee Soon-chul, an SBS commentator who broadcasted today's game, stated regarding Kim Do-young: "He should probably return to his proper spot rather than batting leadoff. He seems to be under significant pressure." Lee Dae-ho, another commentator on the broadcast, added, "When a hitter who has always batted third is placed in the first spot, he may feel anxious. This causes his balance to break down, leading to poor results."

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*This content was translated by AI.