The South Korean national baseball team lost to Japan 5-9 in their second match of the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) on November 13 at Tokyo Dome.
Under the leadership of manager Choi Won-ho, South Korea suffered its second consecutive defeat, following an 8-7 loss to Australia the previous day. This leaves Korea at the bottom of their group, casting doubt on their chances of advancing to the finals.
The loss also extended South Korea's losing streak against Japan in matches featuring professional players. Since their victory in the semifinals of the 2015 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12, South Korea has recorded one tie and 12 losses against Japan, excluding results from Asian Games matches where Japan fielded amateur players.
South Korea initially took the lead in the game when Han Dong-hee (Lotte Giants) hit a solo home run in the top of the third inning. However, the lead was short-lived. In the bottom of the third, starting pitcher Kim Jin-wook (Lotte) allowed a triple to Shoji Yudai and then a two-run home run to Masaki Tomoya, giving Japan the lead.
Kim Jin-wook pitched five innings, allowing four hits, four walks, and striking out four while giving up two runs. However, the bullpen struggled. In the sixth inning, reliever Jeon Jun-pyo (Kiwoom Heroes) surrendered a solo home run to Kojima Daiga, and in the seventh, Park Si-won (LG Twins) allowed a two-run homer to Muneyama Rui, widening the gap to 1-5.
With their chances of winning fading, South Korea's offense rallied in the eighth inning. After Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) walked and Ahn Hyun-min (KT Wiz) reached on a fielder's choice, Han Dong-hee delivered an RBI single to right-center. In the same inning, with no outs and runners on first and third, Kim Hwi-jip (NC Dinos) hit a three-run homer off new pitcher Morita Shunya, tying the game at 5-5.
However, the tie was quickly broken in the bottom of the eighth. Reliever Kim Young-woo (LG) gave up a three-run homer to Muneyama with two outs and runners on first and second, allowing Japan to regain the lead. Following that, Lee Jun-hyuk (NC) also struggled, giving up consecutive hits and a run due to an error by right fielder Ahn Hyun-min, effectively sealing South Korea's fate.
In the ninth inning, South Korea attempted to rally but failed to score again.
This tournament features four teams: South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. From November 12 to 14, the teams compete in a round-robin format, with the top two teams facing off in the finals on November 15, while the third and fourth place teams will play for the third place.
With two losses, South Korea must win against Taiwan on November 14 at 7 p.m. at the same venue to have any chance of advancing to the finals. Currently, Japan leads the group with two wins, while Taiwan and Australia each have one win and one loss.
If Japan defeats Australia and South Korea beats Taiwan, all three teams, excluding Japan, will have a record of one win and two losses. In that case, the second-place team will be determined based on the Team Quality Balance (TQB), which calculates the difference between runs scored per inning and runs allowed per inning in head-to-head matchups.
To advance to the finals, South Korea needs to win against Taiwan by at least two runs or by one run while scoring four or more runs.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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