It was a must-win game. There were ample opportunities to secure victory in a tightly contested match. But the manager's questionable tactics and a silent batting lineup combined to let the game slip away. Now Korea must defeat Australia by a large margin while minimizing runs allowed, then hope the tiebreaker scenarios fall in their favor to advance to the quarterfinals.
The Korean national baseball team lost 5-4 to Taiwan in a tiebreaker extra-inning battle in Pool C of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome in Japan on March 8.
After beating Czech Republic but losing consecutive games to Japan and Taiwan, Korea finished pool play at 1-2. They will face Australia (2-1) in their final pool game at 7 p.m. on March 9 at the same venue. Korea must secure a convincing victory against Australia to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals.
Korea struggled against Taiwan's pitchers, including starter Gu Lin-Ruiyang (Nippon-Ham Fighters), who overpowered their batters. While the Korean pitching staff, led by starter Ryu Hyun-jin, held Taiwan's lineup without allowing a big inning, Korea managed just four hits and four runs through nine innings. Only Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) delivered, blasting two extra-base hits including a two-run homer. The cleanup trio of Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants), Ahn Hyun-min (kt wiz), and Shea Whitcomb (Houston Astros) went hitless.
The players' focus also faltered at critical moments. Kim Ju-won (NC Dinos) led off the bottom of the third with the team's first hit while trailing 1-0, but was caught in a baserunning blunder on a stolen base attempt. He hesitated mid-stride when the pitcher held the ball, resulting in an out that killed the rally.
Kim Ju-won continued his costly plays in the tiebreaker 10th inning. With one out and a runner on third, he was thrown out at home on Kim Hye-seong's (LA Dodgers) grounder to first. With the defense playing in and power hitter Kim Do-young due up next, waiting for the next opportunity would have been prudent, but the aggressive play squandered the chance.
Whitcomb, who had showcased his power with two home runs against Czech Republic, also lost focus at key moments. In the fifth inning with runners on first and third and no outs, he grounded into a double play. In the top of the 10th tiebreaker with a runner on second and no outs, he made an ill-advised throw to third on a sacrifice bunt, creating a first-and-third jam with no outs.
Most disappointing was manager Ryu Ji-hyun's tactical decisions. After drawing criticism for puzzling pitching moves in the loss to Japan the previous day, Ryu made questionable calls again. The most glaring came in the top of the eighth with Korea leading 4-3 and a runner on second with one out. He could have intentionally walked Stuart Fairchild (Cleveland Guardians), who had regained his swing with a grand slam against Czech Republic, to face the next batter. Instead, Ryu left Dane Dunning (Seattle Mariners) on the mound to pitch to Fairchild, who launched a two-run homer to give Taiwan the lead. The timing made it sting even more—Korea had just seized momentum on Kim Do-young's go-ahead two-run shot.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ryu inserted pinch runner Shin Min-jae (LG Twins) for Moon Bo-kyung after Moon reached on a walk with one out, hoping to manufacture a run. The move backfired. In the ninth inning with one out and a runner on first, Koo Ja-wook (Samsung Lions), who had replaced Shin, made an out. Many wondered what might have happened if Moon, who had been swinging a hot bat throughout the tournament, had remained in the game.
"Taiwan's starter Gu Lin-Ruiyang went deep into the game, which allowed them to deploy more firepower in the late innings," manager Ryu said. "Son Ju-young (LG Twins) will start against Australia."
Despite the disappointment, players vowed to go all-out against Australia. "I'm just devastated we lost. When you lose, it doesn't matter who played well or who didn't—none of that matters," said Ryu Hyun-jin. "One bad pitch turned into a home run, and that's what hurts."
Kim Do-young added: "I'm so angry and frustrated about the loss. It's the hitters' job to score runs, so I'll bring more energy tomorrow."
