Knockout Round 1 started Sunday, when Israel knocked Mexico out of the tournament in a convincing 12-5 victory to set up a Monday afternoon matchup against South Korea, a 4-3 winner over the Dominican Republic in Sunday’s night game.
South Korea 4, Dominican Republic 3
At Yokohama Stadium: South Korea won a huge victory in Japan, again.
Trailing 3-1 in the ninth inning, the defending Olympic champions scored three runs to book a spot in Monday’s quarterfinal against Israel and hand the Dominican Republic its second ninth-inning blown save of the tournament.
With two outs and the game tied 3-3, Kim Hyunsoo, who had brief stints with the Orioles and Phillies, singled to right to plate the winning run in the defending Olympic champs.
South Korea has a history of memorable comebacks, against Japan in the final game of the 2006 WBC first round at Tokyo Dome–when the Koreans celebrated by planting their national flag in the pitchers mound–and the ninth-inning comeback to beat Japan in the 2015 Premier 12 semifinals. But this was the Olympics, and the WBC game, was a meaningful game to the Koreans but not in the sense of how it affected the tournament.
This one kept the defending Beijing Olympic champions on track for a semifinal berth against either Japan or the United States. So watch here for more fireworks this week. The loss puts the Dominicans into a losers bracket elimination game with the the loser of Monday’s quarterfinal, meaning a possible rematch against South Korea, should Israel deliver another upset.
With Luis Castillo on in the ninth, Choi Joo Hwan opened with a pinch-hit single. Pinch-runner Kim Hye Seong stole second and scored on Park Hae Min’s single. With one out, Lee Jung Hoo tied it with a double.
Former Hanshin Tiger and St. Louis Cardinal Oh Seung Hwan earned the win after pitching the ninth for South Korea, but until that point, the story was about Juan Francisco literally getting on the scoreboard.
After a five-game 2015 career with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Central League, Juan Francisco finally made an impact in Japan, breaking a 1-1 fourth-inning tie with a home run off the center-field scoreboard.
With two outs in the seventh, Yang Eui Ji drew a walk off lefty reliever Dario Alvarez to bring the tying run to the plate, but Alvarez threw him out trying to steal to end the threat, and it looked for all the world like the Koreans were done like dinner.
I doubt there has ever been more joy on display by players at a ballgame in Japan...
Israel 12, Mexico 5
At Yokohama Stadium: Israel hammered Mexico starter Manuel Barreda for six runs, five earned, in two-plus innings. He walked three and gave up the game’s big blow, Danny Valencia’s three-run third-inning home run.
Valencia went 3-for-4 with a first-inning walk, when he scored the game’s first run after a Ryan Lavarnway double and a Nick Rickles single.
Mexico finishes its first Olympic tournament in sixth place with an 0-3 record, while Israel retains a shot at gold, provided it runs the table.
