Lee's home run in the eighth stuns Tokyo Dome crowdBy Jim Street / MLB.com
• Box score
TOKYO -- Team Korea was getting a taste of its own medicine Sunday and it wasn't delicious.
They were having as much trouble scoring runs against Team Japan's pitchers as two other teams in the World Baseball Classic had scoring against their own Major League-dominated staff.
And then, like a bolt of lightning delivered from Seoul, two swings in the eighth inning produced two runs and a stunning turn of events that resulted in a 3-2 victory over Japan and top-seed status heading into the second round of the inaugural Classic.
The largest crowd of the series -- 40,553 -- included Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife.
First baseman Seung Yeop Lee, who will be playing his home games inside the Tokyo Dome this season, spoiled the night for his future fans when he sent a 3-and-1 pitch from left-handed reliever Hirotoshi Ishii into the right-field seats, turning a one-run deficit into a one-run lead -- and a noisy crowd into almost complete silence.
Familiarity served Seung Yeop well in the decisive at-bat of the game.
"In that situation (3-and-1 count), Japanese pitchers will throw a breaking ball," he said. "I was lucky because I could use my experience."
Ishii threw a slider that stayed up in the strike zone and rested right in the middle of Seung Yeop's wheelhouse and just as he did twice Saturday night against China, Lee drove it into the seats.
But this one was a whole lot larger than those others.
Japan manager Sadaharu Oh thought he had the final two innings of the game set up perfectly, starting with Ishii. Lefty against lefty usually is a good thing.
"I think the batter was too good for Ishii," Oh said. "It was the eighth inning and the batter came up with a big home run. If I knew he was going to do that, I wouldn't have (put Ishii into the game)."
Ishii struck out the first batter he faced, but Jong Beom Lee lined a single into center field. That set up Seung Yeop's decisive, smooth swing, resulting in a home run probably heard all the way to Seoul.
The Koreans wanted to win the Pool A series finale and gain Far East bragging rights from the inaugural Classic. But they seemed destined for the consolation prize -- a trip to the United States on Monday morning to prepare for the second round of the 16-team tournament, which will be played March 12-16 in Anaheim, as the number two seed from Pool A.
Now, as the top seed, Korea plays three exhibition games in Arizona -- Wednesday night against the Kansas City Royals in Surprise and Friday night against the San Diego Padres in Peoria. A date with the second seed from Pool B (United States, Canada, Mexico or South Africa) awaits Korea in Anaheim on Sunday, followed by two other games -- including a rematch against Japan.
Pool B teams begin play Tuesday afternoon with the U.S. playing Mexico at Chase Field in Phoenix and Canada taking on South Africa later that night in Scottsdale. The top two seeds from Pool B advance to Anaheim.
If pitching is the key to reaching the semifinals in San Diego, then Korea has an excellent shot of getting there.
"Our pitchers pitched so well," Korea manager In Sik Kim said. "(Japan) had good batters, but we had great pitchers who wouldn't let them hit."
A pitching staff that includes six Major Leaguers surrendered just one run in wins over Chinese Taipei (2-0) and China (10-1), but wobbled a bit in the first two innings on Sunday, surrendering a run in each inning.
A terrific, diving catch by right fielder Jin Young Lee that ended the fourth inning deprived Tsuyoshi Nishioka of what could have been a bases-loaded double or triple. It basically saved Korea's bacon.
"I knew he was capable of being a good fielder," In Sik said of his right fielder.
Oh admitted that the huge home run and super defensive play were, "The reasons we could not win. They had two heroes."
Well, maybe three.
Right-hander Chan Ho Park, the most famous pitcher in Korea history, pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save.
"He is a great veteran pitcher and I thought he as the best man for the job," In Sik said.
Oh credited the Korean pitchers for a job well done in shutting down an offense that scored 18 runs in its opening game victory over China and 14 against Chinese Taipei.
But it was a completely different story in the finale.
And Korea gets the honor of being number one in the Far East. For now, that definitely is enough to whet their appetite.
