(WBC) S. Korea defeats Chinese Taipei in finale

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, March 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korea defeated Chinese Taipei 11-8 in extra innings in its final World Baseball Classic (WBC) game on Thursday, salvaging a win to close out an otherwise disappointing campaign at home.

South Korea blew a 6-0 lead before Yang Eui-ji drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, as South Korea finished third among four nations in Pool A. Kim Tae-kyun then blasted a pinch-hit, two-run home run for insurance, and St. Louis Cardinals closer Oh Seung-hwan slammed the door shut with two scoreless innings.

Earlier in the week, South Korea fell to Israel 2-1 and the Netherlands 5-0.

South Korea's first round exit was already confirmed Wednesday when the Netherlands beat Chinese Taipei 6-5 and joined Israel in the next round. The anti-climactic finale on Thursday wasn't the kind of finish that South Korea had envisioned as the first-time WBC host.

After taking a beating in the court of public opinion for their uninspired play, South Korean players took the field with a sense of urgency on Thursday.

Every player in the starting lineup got at least a hit, and the team had 16 hits overall, after getting just 13 in the first two games combined.

South Korea managed just one run in the previous 19 innings, but matched that output in the top of the first inning. Min Byung-hun led off the game with a double off Chen Kuan-Yu, and two batters later, Park Sok-min drove Min home with a single.

South Korea then sent 11 batters to the plate to score five runs in the second inning.

After giving up two straight one-out singles, Chen was lifted with an apparent injury, having tossed only 30 pitches.

The next pitcher, Kuo Chun-Lin, walked Kim Ha-seong to load the bases, and Seo Geon-chang plated two runs with a double down the right field line.

Min then hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-0 South Korea.

South Korea wasn't done, as Lee Yong-kyu put South Korea ahead 5-0 with an RBI single to right. Lee advanced to second on the throw home. Two consecutive hit-by-pitches loaded the bases for Son Ah-seop, who hit an infield single to third for a 6-0 South Korean advantage.

But Chinese Taipei, as it had done all tournament, refused to go away.

After one out in the bottom second, Chinese Taipei got two singles off starter Yang Hyeon-jong. Chen Yung-Chi then brought in Chinese Taipei's first run with a fielder's choice grounder.

After allowing an infield single, Yang nailed Lin Che-Hsuan in the left wrist to load the bases for Hu Chin-Lung, who promptly lined a two-run single to right to cut the deficit to 6-3.

South Korea padded its lead in the top fourth. Lee Yong-kyu and Park Sok-min each hit one-out singles off Pan, setting the stage for Lee Dae-ho's RBI double.

Son then made it 8-3 South Korea with a sacrifice fly to right.

Chinese Taipei again answered back. Facing new pitcher Sim Chang-min in the bottom fourth, No. 9 hitter Lin Che-Hsuan blasted a two-run home run to left to make it 8-5.

Two innings later, Chinese Taipei got to within one. With two outs against third South Korean pitcher Cha Woo-chan, Hu Chin-Lung delivered a run-scoring single to left, and Chang Chih-Hao followed with an RBI single to get to within 8-7.

The resilient Chinese Taipei finally evened the score in the bottom seventh, again with a two-out hit.

After two quick outs, Kao Kuo-Hui hit a double to left, and Chen Yung-Chi brought Kao home with a single to center, silencing the home crowd that had been expecting a breezy victory.

South Korea had the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth, but the best Lee Yong-kyu could do was to fly out to left.

Chinese Taipei had a chance to finish the game in the bottom ninth. Chiang Chih-Hsien led off the frame with a double off new pitcher Lee Hyun-seung, and South Korea quickly summoned Oh.

Oh struck out Lin Chih-Sheng looking. He put Lin Yi-Chuan on to bring the double play into the equation, before striking out Kao Kuo-Hui and getting Chen Yung-Chi to fly out to right.

That set the stage for the 10th inning rally for South Korea. After one out in the 10th, Oh Jae-won and Son Ah-seop hit singles off Chen Hung-Wen, with Oh taking third on the latter's hit.

Yang, who was so banged up he had to sit out the second game against the Netherlands, hit a deep fly to center field for the go-ahead sacrifice fly.

Then Kim Tae-kyun, who was taken to an emergency room Wednesday with flu-like symptoms and was benched at the start Thursday, put the game away with a two-run homer to left-center. It was the first home run by South Korea at the tournament.

Oh returned to close out the game with a perfect 10th inning.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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