World Baseball Classic: Homers from Shohei Ohtani, Seiya Suzuki help Japan get past Korea 8-6

· Yahoo Sports

Shohei Ohtani hit his second home run of the 2026 World Baseball Classic to help Japan defeat Korea 8-6 at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images)Toru Hanai via Getty Images

Shohei Ohtani hit his second home run of the 2026 World Baseball Classic and Seiya Suzuki added two of his own as Team Japan held off Team Korea 8-6 on Saturday the Tokyo Dome.

Japan improves to 2-0 and is tied atop Pool C with Australia. The two sides will meet Sunday morning (6 a.m. ET; FS1).

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Korea starting the game with three straight singles off Japan starter Yusei Kikuchi and built up a 3-0 lead before their opponents had their first at-bat. It didn't take long for Japan to answer when they had their opportunity. After Ohtani walked, Suzuki hit his first home run of the game two batters later to cut the lead to 3-2.

The long balls would come again for Japan two innings later as Ohtani, Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida went yard to put Japan ahead 5-3.

Suzuki now joins Tetsuto Yamada (2017) and Shinnosuke Abe (2013) as the only Japanese players to have multi-home run games in a World Baseball Classic.

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Rivalry games are not easily and this one was no different as Korea tied the game in the top of the 4th inning as Hyeseong Kim sent one 410 feet.

The game would remain up for grabs until the bottom of the seventh inning when Korea reliever Young Kyu Kim got into trouble. After Ohtani was intentionally walked, Kim would enter the game issue two walks of his own, including one with the bases loaded to help Japan break the deadlock. Yoshida would then put Japan up for good with a two-run single.

Korea clawed a run back, but couldn't overcome Japan's pitching on the day, which recorded only 15 strikeouts and only two walks.

Japan's win means that Czechia (0-3) will finish in last place in Pool C and have to re-qualify for the next World Baseball Classic.

Korea is now 1-1 and will next face Chinese Taipei on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; FS2).

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