'Kim Hui-jip's 8th-inning tying three-run homer also flew away' Korea's baseball, winless against Japan for the 11th consecutive year, 'again' crumbles on four home runs... 5-9 comeback loss to Japan [2026 APBC]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The nightmare from the previous day's game against Australia repeated itself. Korean baseball was saved by Kim Hui-jip's (24, NC Dinos) dramatic tying three-run homer, but the bullpen was struck again for a decisive three-run homer in the same inning and collapsed once more. The chain of winless games against Japan, which has continued for 11 years, could not be broken either.

The Korean national baseball team, led by Manager Choi Won-ho (53), lost to Japan 5-9 in the second preliminary match of the 2026 Asia Pro Baseball Championship (APBC) held at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on the 13th.

Korea, which suffered a 7-8 comeback loss to Australia the previous day (the 12th), bowed to Japan as well and fell into a two-game losing streak. On the other hand, Japan, who had completely defeated Taiwan 5-0 in their first game, took an advantageous position for advancing to the finals with a two-game winning streak.

The humiliation of being winless against Japan for the 11th consecutive year also continued. Korea's last victory against Japan in an international tournament featuring professional players was a 4-3 win in the semifinals of the 2015 Premier 12. Since then, they have not won even once, recording one draw and 11 losses in 12 games. In the APBC as well, following losses in both the preliminaries and finals in 2017 and 2023, they recorded a five-game losing streak including this match.

They left regrets in both pitching and batting. Korea's starting pitcher Kim Jin-wook (24, Lotte Giants) held the mound with four hits allowed (one home run allowed), four walks, four strikeouts, and two runs allowed over five innings. Japan's starting pitcher Takemaru Kazuyuki (24, Yomiuri Giants) matched him with five hits allowed (one home run allowed), one walk, six strikeouts, and one run allowed over four innings.

There was a significant difference in power hitting. Korea had eight hits and Japan had 10 hits, so there was not a big difference in the number of hits, but Japan hit four home runs and pounded the Korean mound.

In particular, Muneama Rui (23, Rakuten Golden Eagles) performed brilliantly with three hits in five at-bats (two home runs), five RBIs, and two runs scored, including a decisive three-run homer. For Korea, Han Dong-hee (27, Lotte Giants) fought hard with two hits in four at-bats (one home run), two RBIs, and two runs scored, and Kim Hui-jip contributed one hit in four at-bats (one home run), three RBIs, and one run scored, but their efforts faded due to the team's defeat.

On this day, Korea arranged its batting order as follows: Kim Ju-won (shortstop) - Kim Do-young (third baseman) - Ahn Hyun-min (right fielder) - Han Dong-hee (designated hitter) - Kim Hui-jip (second baseman) - Heo In-seo (catcher) - Moon Jung-bin (first baseman) - Kim Min-seok (left fielder) - Kim Ji-chan (center fielder). The starting pitcher was Kim Jin-wook.

Facing them, Japan set up its lineup as follows: Masaki Tomoya (first baseman) - Muneama Rui (shortstop) - Nishikawa Misao (left fielder) - Yamaguchi Goki (designated hitter) - Watanabe Seiya (third baseman) - Watarai Ryuki (right fielder) - Hasegawa Shinya (center fielder) - Koizumi Daiga (catcher) - Shoji Yudai (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Takemaru.

They exchanged home runs from the early stages of the game. In the top of the 3rd inning, with no runners on base and two outs, Han Dong-hee hit a push shot to right field for a solo home run over the fence, despite a somewhat late timing against Takemaru's pitch. In response, Japan's leadoff batter Shoji hit a large triple toward the center field fence, and Masaki hit a two-run homer over the left-center fence to take a 2-1 lead.

After that, Japan widened the score gap against Korea's bullpen. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Koizumi hit a solo home run over the right field fence off reliever Jeon Jun-pyo to make it 3-1. In the bottom of the 7th inning, after Masaki drew a walk from Park Si-won, Muneama attacked the first pitch and hit a two-run homer over the right field fence. The score widened to 5-1.

However, Korea did not back down easily. In the top of the 8th inning, leadoff batter Kim Do-young drew a straight walk against Nakamori Shunsuke. Then, on Ahn Hyun-min's ground ball to shortstop, it seemed like a double play would occur, but Kim Do-young quickly reached second base, and after video review, the situation became no outs with runners on first and second.

Han Dong-hee kept the flame of pursuit alive with a one-RBI hit pushed into left-center field. Japan removed Nakamori and brought in Morita Shunya, but they could not stop Kim Hui-jip's bat. Kim Hui-jip made solid contact on Morita's third pitch and hit a large tying three-run homer over the center field fence with a distance of 120 meters. The game, which was trailing 1-5, instantly returned to a 5-5 tie.

For Kim Hui-jip, who had provided the opportunity for a comeback loss due to a fielding error in the previous day's game against Australia, it was an even more meaningful blow. However, the joy did not last long.

Kim Young-woo, who took the mound in the bottom of the 8th inning, brought about a crisis with two outs and runners on first and second, and was hit for a three-run homer over left-center field by Muneama. Less than one inning after creating a dramatic tie, they fell behind again at 5-8. Lee Jun-hyuk, who pitched next, also allowed a one-RBI double over the left fielder's head to Yamaguchi. Korea failed to score in the top of the 9th inning and lost 5-9.

A similar scene occurred in the previous day's game against Australia as well. Korea was trailing 0-4 but succeeded in a comeback by scoring six runs in the 6th inning, but the bullpen gave up two points each in the 8th and 9th innings consecutively, resulting in a 7-8 loss. For two consecutive days, despite the lineup succeeding in a dramatic counterattack, they lost their victory as the bullpen collapsed.

Advancing to the finals also became a situation where they had to rely on the results of other teams' games. On this day, Taiwan defeated Australia 6-4 in the afternoon, resulting in Japan having two wins, Taiwan and Australia each having one win and one loss, and Korea having two losses.

For Korea to reach the finals, Japan must defeat Australia at 12:00 noon on the 14th, and Korea must beat Taiwan at 7:00 p.m. on the same day. In this case, Japan would rise to first place in the preliminaries with three wins, while Korea, Taiwan, and Australia would all be tied with one win and two losses. Subsequently, according to the tournament's ranking determination rules, the team advancing to the finals will be decided by considering metrics such as runs per inning (TQB).

Korea will play its final preliminary game against Taiwan at Tokyo Dome at 7:00 p.m. on the 14th.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original