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Asian Games: South Korea get first baseball win

South Korean pitcher Jang Won-Sam delivers a pitch against the Philippines during their baseball preliminary at the 15th Asian Games in Doha yesterday. South Korea won 12-2. PHOTO: AFP

Three players had three RBIs each and Jang Won-sam allowed one hit in five innings as defending Asian Games baseball champions South Korea won for the first time at Doha, a 12-2 decision yesterday over winless Philippines.

South Korea led 7-0 after two innings and increased its lead by one in the bottom of the seventh inning to make its lead 10, allowing the mercy rule to be invoked and the game to end.

The defending champions face an uphill battle to make it to the final, with three others teams -- gold medal favorites Taiwan, China and Japan -- ahead of them with 2-0 records. China played Japan later yesterday.

South Korea is playing without five or six of its US-based Major League players.

Third baseman Cho Dong-chan, designated hitter Lee Dae-ho and right fielder Lee Jin-young all had home runs among their three RBIs.

Lee Jin-young had a three-run homer off Philippines starter and loser Darwin Dela Calzada in the first inning, Cho a two-run shot off Dela Calzada in the third and Lee Dae-ho a two-run homer off reliever Roy Baclay.

Jang allowed just one earned run in his five-inning stint, striking out five and walking one.
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