Dodgers News: Shohei Ohtani, Hyeseong Kim both homer in WBC thriller
Ohtani's game tying solo shot sets the stage for heroics from Suzuki and Yoshida
TOKYO, JAPAN — Sometimes even the greatest player in the world is a supporting player. Don’t get me wrong, Shohei Ohtani was great, 2-for-2 with a home run and three runs scored, but the Koreans took the bat out of his hands late in this one leaving it to MLB stars like Seiya Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida to deliver an 8-6 win over Team Korea on this third day of Pool C play. The other Dodger in the game, Korea’s Hyeseong Kim, homered as well, but it just wasn’t enough to dethrone the mighty Japanese.
Team Japan started this one in a deep hole. Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi gave up three runs to Korea in the top of the first, so when Shohei stepped into the the batter’s box, the Samurai boys had some work to do. And that’s exactly what they did. Ohtani got things started off in the inning with a walk, but the big blow came from the Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki, who hit the first of his two home runs. The Korean lead had been trimmed to 3-2, and Team Japan was within striking distance.
Ohtani Blast Starts Comeback in Third
And strike they did. In the bottom of the third, Samurai Japan went deep three times to take the lead. And of course, we all know who was a part of that. Yep, Shohei Ohtani homered for the second straight game to tie the score at 3-3. Korean pitcher Young Pyo Ko tried to throw Shohei three straight curveballs, and that turned out to be one too many. On a 1-1 count, Ohtani smoked a ball to right center, depositing it among thousands of Japanese fans going out of their mind. On the heels of Ohtani’s blast came a couple more solo shots, both by MLB players. First, Seiya Suzuki hit his second of the day, and then the Red Sox Masataka Yoshida went yard to make it 5-3 Team Japan.
The Comet With the Counterpunch
However, Ohtani wasn’t the only Dodger to grab the spotlight in this one. In the very next inning, Hyeseong Kim blasted a two-run shot to tie the game. Hitless in his first WBC game, Kim got ahead of pitcher Hiromi Itoh, and then took a 3-1 pitch deep to right center for a no-doubter. And suddenly, this highly entertaining game was tied again.
Team Japan Retakes the Lead
The game stayed tied for the next three innings. Shohei got a single in his third plate appearance, but nothing really came of it. However, in the bottom of the seventh, Ohtani would figure in the scoring in a big way. With a runner on third and two out, Korean manager Ryu Ji-hyun decided to go with the John Schneider strategy. Intentional Pass. Unfortunately for Korea, the strategy backfired when Korean pitchers couldn’t find the plate. Kensuke Kondoh walked (not intentionally) to load the bases and then Seiya Suzuki got another free pass to score the tie-breaking run.
Then, the kill shot. Masataka Yoshida came to the plate, already with a homer and a pair of RBI. With the bases still juiced with Samurai, Yoshida ripped a 0-1 fastball up the middle to score Ohtani and Kondoh. With just one hit in the inning, Japan had scored three times to take an 8-5 lead.
Kim leaves ’em loaded
In the top of the eighth, Hyeseong Kim had a chance to be the biggest hero of the night for Korea when he stepped up to the plate with two out and the bases loaded. The Koreans had already scored a run in the inning, trimming the Japanese lead to 8-6. Kim faced off against pitcher Yuki Matsumoto. He worked the count to 2-2, but then took a perfectly placed sinker at the bottom of the zone for strike three. There would be no joy in Busan tonight. The mighty Kim has struck out.
And that would be as close as the Koreans would get. In the ninth, the Tigers’ Jamai Jones absolutely launched a ball to the deepest part of the park, but centerfielder Ukyo Shuto made a great leaping catch at the wall. And that would be a metaphor for the Koreans night. They played great, just didn’t have quite enough to beat Samurai Japan.
Next Up: Chinese Taipei and Australia
Pool C continues on Sunday with these two teams taking on very different opponents. Shohei and Team Japan will face off against the 2-0 Australians, while Korea plays the 0-2 team from Chinese Taipei. Both teams looked good in this one. I wouldn’t be surprised if these were the two teams that make it out of Pool C. And then we can wake up at regular times.
More Dodgers Coverage:
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!ews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on
