ICHIRO CLUTCH HIT KEYS JAPAN'S SECOND WBC TITLE GAME WIN

Ichiro Suzuki’s two-run single in the top of the 10th inning broke a 3-3 tie as Japan went on to beat South Korea, 5-3, Monday night in Los Angeles to win their second World Baseball Classic championship. With two Japanese runners on, first base open and two out, Korean reliever Chang-Yong Lim pitched to Suzuki, who already had three hits on the night. The two battled it out until Ichiro stroked Lim’s eighth pitch into right field to score both runners, putting Japan up for good. Yu Darvish, Japan’s 22-year-old pitching prodigy, held Korea scoreless in the bottom of the 10th.


Korea was trailing by a 3-2 count going into the bottom of the ninth when Darvish gave up an RBI single to Bum-Ho Lee, but Darvish settled down when it mattered. Shin-Soo Choo whacked a homer for the second straight game for the Koreans in the fifth inning. Japan’s Daisuke Matsuzaka was the WBC’s MVP for the second consecutive time after going 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA.

KOREANS DRUB VENEZUELA TO REACH FINALS

One night later, South Korea bludgeoned Venezuela, 10-2, to win the other semifinal game, setting up the title bout with archrival Japan. Korean starter Suk-Min Yook turned in 6.1 solid innings, giving up two runs while scattering seven hits for the win. Conversely, Venezuelan opener Carlos Silva was battered for five runs in the first inning, including a three-run homer by Shin-Soo Choo. After Tae-Kyun Kim walloped a two-run bomb in the second, Silva was yanked. He ended up allowing seven runs on six hits in just 1.1 innings.


The Venezuelans scored their first run on a Melvin Mora single in the third, but Korea posted three more runs on the board to effectively put the game out of reach. Carlos Guillen swatted a solo homer in the seventh inning for Venezuela, but it was too little, too late.

KOREANS REACH SEMIS DESPITE LOSS TO JAPAN

Although Thursday’s loss to Japan included uncharacteristic defensive miscues, South Korea scored a pair of important Pool 1 victories along the way to ensure their berth in the semifinals.


The Koreans opened pool play with an 8-2 win over Mexico last Sunday as Kim Tae-kyun drove in three runs on two hits, including a solo homer, and five relievers held Mexico scoreless from the third inning on. South Korea clinched their spot in the WBC’s final four with a solid 4-1 win over Japan two nights later Starter Bong Jung-keun turned in another solid performance, allowing just one run on three hits over 5.1 innings. The Koreans were scheduled to play Pool 2 champions Venezuela Saturday in Los Angeles.