‘Korean baseball gets a helping hand from the heavens’ Thanks to Japan, Australia crushed 16-1... ‘Even with two losses,’ beating Taiwan could set up a Korea-Japan final [APBC]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A stroke of luck emerged that allowed them to still aim for the final despite having two losses. Japan delivered good news to Korea by securing a decisive victory over Australia.

On the 14th, at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, Japan defeated Australia 16-1 via a seventh-inning run-rule win in the third preliminary round match of the 2026 Asia Pro Baseball Championship (APBC).

In this tournament’s preliminary round, a game is declared a run-rule victory if one team leads by 10 or more runs after seven innings. Having previously beaten Taiwan 5-0 and Korea 9-5, Japan advanced to the final with three wins in three games.

This is the best-case scenario for Korea. After losing to Australia 7-8 and to Japan 5-9, Korea has suffered two losses, a record shared by no other participating team, yet still holds a chance to reach the final. If Korea beats Taiwan, three teams excluding Japan will be tied with one win and two losses, and the finalist will be determined through Team Quality Balance (TQB).

Even if Japan beat Australia, the difficulty of Korea’s match against Taiwan could vary depending on the margin of victory. If Japan had won by a single run, Korea would have needed to beat Taiwan by at least four runs.

However, assuming both games ended in regular innings without extra time or a run-rule decision, if Japan beats Australia by one run, Korea must win against Taiwan by a minimum of four runs.

If Japan wins by two runs, Korea needs a three-run victory; if Japan wins by three runs, Korea needs a two-run victory. If Japan defeats Australia by four or more runs, Korea can advance to the final with just a one-run win over Taiwan. However, if the number of offensive and defensive innings changes due to extra time, a run-rule decision, or a walk-off win by Korea, the required margin of victory may also change.

Yet Japan, which had left a painful wound on Korean baseball the previous day, became an ally this time. They pressed Australia from the top of the first inning. Amid pitching control issues from the Australian staff and precise hitting by the Japanese lineup, Japan quickly racked up runs, reaching 11 points with a grand slam by Rui Muneyama.

Conversely, the Japanese pitching staff retired Australia’s offense in order in the bottom of the first inning. The outcome was effectively decided in the first inning.

The Japanese lineup added two more runs each in the second and third innings. In the fourth inning, they allowed a solo home run to Brent Aidel of Australia, but that was their only run allowed.

After finishing the sixth and seventh innings without allowing any runs, Japan secured a seventh-inning run-rule victory and settled into the final.

Now is the time for Korean baseball to step up. Although they have suffered two losses, if they can beat Taiwan, they will earn a spot in the final and an opportunity for revenge against Japan.

In head-to-head matchups featuring professional-level players, Korean baseball has failed to secure a win since the 2015 Premier 12 semifinal (4-3 victory), with a record of one draw and 12 losses. They must first beat Taiwan.

On this day, Lee Yoo-rin (SSG) will take the mound as the starting pitcher. Lee Yoo-rin, who transformed into a starting pitcher in the second half and delivered outstanding pitching, will step onto the pitcher's mound bearing a heavy burden for Korea’s path to the final.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original