South Korea’s national baseball team has broken a long-standing curse at the World Baseball Classic (WBC), securing a commanding 11-4 win over the Czech Republic in the opening match of Group Stage at Tokyo Dome on March 5. The victory marks the first time since 2013 that South Korea has avoided losing its first WBC game, ending a three-tournament streak of first-game defeats against the Netherlands, Israel, and Australia.

Early Momentum Sets the Tone

The game was decided from the first inning as South Korea’s offense exploded. Leadoff batter Kim Do-yeong (KIA) drew a walk, followed by a single from Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants), setting the stage for a scoring opportunity. Ahn Hyun-min (KT) then walked, loading the bases with one out. Moon Bo-kyung (LG) delivered a grand slam off Czech starter Daniel Pádišák, giving South Korea an early 4-0 lead.

Manager Ryu Ji-hyun’s strategy of building an early lead paid off. In the second inning, Park Dong-won (LG) doubled and Kim Joo-won (NC) singled, putting runners on first and third with no outs. Jamaal Jones (Detroit Tigers) drove in a run with a groundout, extending the lead to 5-0. Whitcomb (Houston Astros) added to the dominance with a solo home run in the third, making it 6-0.

Bullpen Holds Strong Amid Setback

South Korea’s starting pitcher So Hyeong-jun (KT) pitched three scoreless innings, maintaining the early momentum. In the first inning, he completed a double play with second baseman Kim Hye-seong (LA Dodgers) to end the frame cleanly. In the second, he escaped a bases-loaded, two-out jam with a flyout.

However, the Czech Republic managed to cut the deficit to 6-3 in the top of the fifth when Jeong Woo-joo allowed a three-run home run to Terik Babra, a former MLB player with the Baltimore Orioles. Babra’s home run, with one out and runners on first and second, marked a critical moment in the game.

South Korea quickly responded in the bottom of the fifth as Whitcomb hit a two-run homer to left field, extending the lead to 8-3. Moon Bo-kyung added an RBI single in the seventh, and Kim Hye-seong drove in another run, widening the lead to 10-3. In the eighth, Jamaal Jones hit a solo home run to left field, showing his strong hitting form.

Group Stage Dynamics Shift

South Korea’s bullpen performed solidly, with Park Young-hyun recording one scoreless inning with two strikeouts and one walk. In the seventh, Jo Byeong-hyeon recorded South Korea’s first three-up, three-down inning. Kim Young-kyu also struck out two batters in the eighth for another three-up, three-down frame.

Meanwhile, Australia, also in the same group, defeated Taiwan 3-0 in their earlier opening match, plunging the group standings into chaos. Australia’s left-handed pitchers — Alexander Wells (3 scoreless innings), Jack O’Loughlin (3 scoreless innings), and John Kennedy (3 scoreless innings) — effectively shut down Taiwan’s lineup, limiting them to three hits. Robbie Perkins’ two-run home run in the fifth and Travis Bazzana’s solo shot in the seventh secured the victory.

South Korea, which played its first group match against the Czech Republic, will next face Japan on March 7, Taiwan on March 8, and Australia on March 9. With Australia’s win over Taiwan, the competition for second place in Group C has expanded from the initially expected ‘South Korea-Taiwan’ dynamic to a three-way race involving Australia. Australia’s pitchers — Wells (46 pitches), O’Loughlin (44 pitches), and Kennedy (41 pitches) — all threw under 50 pitches, making them eligible to pitch against South Korea.

South Korea also managed pitch counts effectively: So Hyeong-jun (42 pitches), Noh Kyung-eun (13 pitches), Jeong Woo-joo (23 pitches), Park Young-hyun (17 pitches), Jo Byeong-hyeon (9 pitches), Kim Young-kyu (18 pitches), and Yoo Young-chan all stayed within limits, allowing the team to breathe easier ahead of the group stage schedule.