Yang Eui-ji's First Win Pushed by Hit-by-Pitch... Game Against the U.S. on the 31st
The baseball national team struggled from their first game at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They won 6-5 against Israel after an extra-inning battle.
On the 29th, the national team secured a walk-off victory in the 10th inning in the first game of Group B baseball held at Yokohama Stadium in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. With two outs and bases loaded, the opposing pitcher Jeremy Bleich’s first pitch grazed Yang Eui-ji (NC). It was called a hit-by-pitch, allowing the runner on third base, Park Kun-woo (Doosan), to score. This extended South Korea’s undefeated streak in Olympic main tournaments since the bronze medal match at the 2000 Sydney Games. They will face the United States on the 31st with a lighter heart.
Starting pitcher Won Tae-in (Samsung) began smoothly by striking out four consecutive batters. However, in the 3rd inning with two outs and a runner on second, he gave up a home run to former Major League player Ian Kinsler, falling behind 0-2. Won Tae-in was pulled after pitching only three innings due to that one big hit. Kinsler is an infielder who was selected to the All-Star game four times in the big leagues. From 2006 to 2019, he played for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, and Los Angeles Angels. He appeared in 1,888 games with a batting average of .269, 257 home runs, and 243 stolen bases.
Israel’s starting pitcher John Moschcowitz left the mound due to elbow pain after a no-out, runner on first situation in the 1st inning. Jake Fishman, who took over, did not allow any runs through the 3rd inning. Although he gave up hits to Oh Ji-hwan (LG) and Heo Kyung-min (Doosan), he got Kim Hyun-soo (LG), Kang Baek-ho (kt), and Kim Hye-sung (Kiwoom) out on ground balls.
The national team tied the game with a home run in the 4th inning. The hero was Oh Ji-hwan. With two outs and a runner on first after Kang Min-ho’s (Samsung) single to left field, he hit a home run over the right field fence. The team got another chance with Heo Kyung-min’s double and Kim Hye-sung’s infield hit. However, Park Hae-min’s ground ball to the second baseman ended the rally, failing to take the lead.
Israel took the lead again with a home run in the 6th inning. Ryan Lavarnway hit a two-run homer off Choi Won-jun, who had been pitching well since the 4th inning. The national team responded with a home run as well. In the 7th inning, the leadoff batter Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom) hit a solo home run off Jack Weiss. The next batter Kim Hyun-soo also hit a home run, quickly tying the game at 4-4.
The national team then took a 5-4 lead with two outs and a runner on second when Oh Ji-hwan hit a double that dropped in center-right field. However, closer Oh Seung-hwan (Samsung) gave up a game-tying solo home run to Lavarnway in the 9th inning, sending the game into extra innings. In the Tokyo Olympics, baseball starts extra innings from the 10th inning with runners on first and second base. Oh Seung-hwan redeemed himself by striking out all three batters in the 10th inning. In the next at-bat, Yang Eui-ji ended the game with a walk-by-pitch, becoming the winning pitcher.
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