Olympic champions South Korea beat Japan 4-1 and the US edged Puerto Rico 6-5 on Tuesday to reach the World Baseball Classic semi-finals.
Defending WBC champions Japan held South Korea to only four singles, but also issued seven walks, including four in the eighth inning.
Backed by a boisterous cheering section at Petco Park and led by left-hander Bong Jung-keun, the South Koreans joined Venezuela and the US in the semi-finals at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
PHOTO: AFP
“The most important thing is we are one of the four teams,” South Korea manager Kim In-sik said. “Japan can be counted at a higher level than us. It doesn’t mean they always win. The most important thing is we won this time.”
South Korea roughed up Japan pitcher Yu Darvish (1-1) to take a 3-0 lead in the first inning, with the first three batters reaching base and scoring. The first run scored on an error by shortstop Yasuyuki Kataoka, before Lee Jin-young singled in two runs.
“Three runs in that inning was heavy,” Japan manager Tatsunori Hara said, adding that Darvish “just lost it. That was the reason that it didn’t go well.”
The South Koreans had only one hit after the first inning. Lee Bum-ho drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth.
Bong (2-0) held Japan hitless until the fourth inning and allowed only three singles and one run in five-and-a-third innings. He walked three and struck out one. Lim Chang-yong got the last two outs for the save.
Darvish allowed two earned runs and four hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
Ichiro Suzuki drove in Japan’s only run on a grounder in the fifth. The Seattle Mariners’ star went 0-for-4 and is hitting just .174 (4-for-23) in five games.
Japanese catcher Kenji Johjima of the Mariners was ejected by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt after taking a called third strike in the seventh.
Earlier, David Wright sliced a two-run single that capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning that advanced the injury-plagued US to the final four and eliminated Puerto Rico from the tournament.
The US victory made up for Saturday’s embarrassing 11-1 loss to Puerto Rico that ended in the seventh inning because of the 10-run mercy rule.
The US rallied from 5-3 down when Shane Victorino and Brian Roberts singled to the start the ninth inning against J.C. Romero (1-1). Derek Jeter flied out, Roberts stole second and Jimmy Rollins walked on a 3-2 pitch.
Fernando Cabrera came on to pitch and he walked Kevin Youkilis to force in a run.
Wright then sent a shot just inside the right-field line, raising his fist when the ball dropped in. The New York Mets star was mobbed by teammates near second base after two runs scored.
“We’re taking this very seriously,” Wright said. “This isn’t an exhibition to us.”
The US will play Venezuela in Miami’s final game of round two to determine the seedings for the semi-finals.
Alex Rios homered and then singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth for the Puerto Ricans. They totaled only five hits, but three walks led to runs, and US starter Ted Lilly gave up three runs on two homers.
Carlos Delgado hit a two-run homer for the Puerto Ricans as they broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth. Ivan Rodriguez led off with his third walk, took second on a surprise sacrifice by Carlos Beltran and scored on Rios’ single.
Ramon Vazquez singled home the Puerto Ricans’ final run in the ninth. Youkilis homered for the US.
Lilly gave up only two hits, but both were homers, and he departed after three-and-a-third innings with the score 3-3. Jonathan Broxton (1-0) earned the win despite allowing a run in the ninth, his lone inning.
Puerto Rican starter Jonathan Sanchez lasted only two-and-two-third innings.
He allowed five hits and three runs.
The final semi-final spot will go to the winner of the game between Japan and Cuba. Japan beat Cuba 6-0 on Sunday behind Daisuke Matsuzaka’s six brilliant innings, as well as in the championship game of the inaugural WBC in 2006 at Petco Park.
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