Tokyo: The South Korean bullpen that displayed dominance just last week faltered significantly in a loss to Japan during the countries’ exhibition baseball game. The game, held at Tokyo Dome, saw Japan overpower South Korea 11-4, with the South Korean relievers struggling to find consistency in their pitches.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Japan managed to accumulate 12 hits, capitalizing on South Korea’s pitching woes. South Korea initially took the lead with back-to-back home runs by Ahn Hyun-min and Song Sung-mun in the fourth inning. However, Japan quickly responded with three runs in the bottom of that inning, followed by a six-run burst in the fifth. South Korean starter Gwak Been initially allowed just one hit through three innings but faltered after walking Isami Nomura. This set the stage for the bullpen’s struggles, as relievers failed to contain Japan’s offensive onslaught.

Right-hander Lee Ro-un struck out his first batter but then surrendered a game-tying double to Misho Nishikawa. Subsequent relievers continued to face challenges. Kim Taek-yeon opened the fifth inning with a walk and a single, leading to Lee Ho-sung’s entry, who then gave up a go-ahead three-run homer to Yukinori Kishida. The game adhered to Major League Baseball (MLB) rules, requiring pitchers to face a minimum of three batters, which impacted South Korea’s strategy.

The South Korean pitchers, more accustomed to the automated ball-strike system (ABS) in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), struggled with the human element in MLB rules. The tight strike zone by home plate umpire Jen Pawol often led to pitches being called balls, which would have been strikes under the ABS. This discrepancy contributed to the pitchers falling behind in counts, allowing Japanese hitters to capitalize on their opportunities.

The MLB-standard pitch clock added to South Korea’s difficulties, with faster limits than those in the KBO. South Korean reliever Lee Min-seok was charged with a pitch clock violation, further compounding the team’s struggles. Despite a strong showing against the Czech Republic in previous games, South Korea found Japan to be a tougher opponent, with the different set of rules playing a significant role in their defeat.