*This content was translated by AI.View Original
The game took a dark turn due to the early removal of the starting pitcher, but the lineup demonstrated remarkable focus, laying the groundwork for a dramatic comeback. However, painful bullpen errors in the late innings forced the team to bow its head.
The Korean national baseball team, led by Manager Choi Won-ho (53), suffered an 8-7 comeback loss to Australia in the first preliminary match of the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 12th.
In this tournament featuring four countries, reaching the final realistically requires defeating both Japan on the 13th and Taiwan (at 7 p.m.) on the 14th. The national team is now backed into a corner.
Kim Min-jun was removed after allowing four runs, but the bullpen maintained scoreless pitching through the seventh inning. However, the eighth and ninth innings proved painful.
Park Jeong-min, who entered in the top of the sixth with two outs and runners on first and second, got out of trouble by recording a double play on Byron Armstrong, and the lineup scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead, raising hopes for victory. Park Jeong-min also finished the seventh inning cleanly with perfect pitching.
However, the eighth inning was disappointing. Kim Hui-jip failed to field Blake Cabel's ground ball to second base, allowing him to reach, and although he got Max Derrington out on a fly ball to right field, he gave up a two-run home run to Clayton Campbell over left field. He then handed the ball to Choi Jun-yong.
At that point, Park Jeong-min had thrown a staggering 36 pitches. Considering that starter Kim Min-jun collapsed before completing three innings, forcing a bullpen day scenario, this was somewhat disappointing. Of course, Kim Geon-woo threw 50 pitches to endure for 2⅔ innings, but as he had been active as a starting pitcher throughout the season, there was a difference compared to Park Jeong-min.
Choi Jun-yong also started nervously by giving up a double to Jayden Kim, but he finished the inning without further runs allowed by getting Armstrong and Jaelin Ray out on ground balls.
The ninth inning was disappointing. Choi Jun-yong, who had thrown 11 pitches in the eighth, gave up a large double to center field to Burke after exceeding 20 pitches, allowing the lead to be taken back. He then got Cabel out on a fly ball to left field after an eight-pitch at-bat, but while facing Derrington, he immediately gave up another large double toward center field as soon as he crossed 30 pitches, allowing one more run. Ultimately, Sung Young-tak had to be called in to record the remaining outs.
Evaluating pitching substitutions is an area where hindsight plays a significant role. If they had managed to hold on well even after exceeding 30 pitches, it would have been possible to applaud such a bold decision.
However, as pitch counts increased, the opposing batters gradually adjusted their timing, which led to fatal runs allowed. According to Japanese media outlet Daily Japan, Manager Choi Won-ho also blamed himself after the game, saying, "I wonder if there was anything I could have done better in handling pitching substitutions."
A win is absolutely necessary in the match against Japan. The starting pitcher will be Kim Jin-wook (Lotte). Following him, Kim Tae-hyung (KIA), Lee Ro-won (SSG), Woo Gang-hoon, and Park Si-won (both LG), Jeon Jun-pyo (Kiwoom), and Jo Dong-wook (Hanwha) and Sung Young-tak (KIA), who had pitch counts around 10, are expected to be on standby.
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*This content was translated by AI.View Original
