South Korea Beats Japan and Advances to Final Round of 2009 WBC

HAVANA, Cuba, March 18 (acn) South Korea beat defending champions Japan
4-1 on Tuesday night at the Petco Park in San Diego and advanced to the
2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) semi-finals while the United States
also moved on by downing Puerto Rico at the Dolphin Stadium in Miami.

Olympic champions South Korea managed to score three runs in the bottom
of the very first inning taking advantage of a shaky start by Japanese
starter Yu Darvish.

Darvish and the Japanese relievers allowed just one hit the rest of the
way but sharp fielding and solid pitching allowed South Korea to take
the final 4-1 win.

Outfielder Lee Yong-kyu led off the first for South Korea with a single,
stole second and scored the first run thanks in part to bobbled balls
from Japanese infielders Akinori Iwamura and Yasuyuki Kataoka. Then, Lee
Jin-young singled to left with the bases loaded and drove in two more
runs to give South Korea a lead they would never lose.

South Korean starter Bong Jung-keun got the win after pitching into the
fifth inning, giving up a run on three hits, three walks and hitting a
batter.

Meanwhile, the Americans scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to
turn the tables on Puerto Rico with a 6-5 win, capped by David Wright’s
single that drove in two, including the winning run.

Japan will play Cuba on Wednesday with the winner advancing to the semi-
finals and the loser out of the tournament.

Venezuela has already advanced to the semi-finals.