Kim Do-young stars as South Korea ties Hanshin

The game underscored just how fully healthy Kim Do-young, 23, of KIA has become. Kim blasted a game-tying solo home run on March 2 at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, lifting South Korea to a 3-3 draw in its first official World Baseball Classic evaluation game against Japan’s Hanshin Tigers.

South Korea, managed by Ryu Ji-hyun, held Hanshin, last season’s Central League champion, to a tie. Alongside the Yomiuri Giants, the Hanshin Tigers are among the most popular clubs in Nippon Professional Baseball. Hanshin has advanced to the Japan Series eight times, winning titles in 1985 and 2023.

Kim carried over his hot streak from the final practice game against Samsung in Okinawa, where he went 3-for-5 with a home run. He followed up by going 2-for-3 with another homer in Osaka.

In the fifth inning, with South Korea trailing 3-2 and one out, Kim faced right-hander Daiki Hayakawa and drove a breaking ball over the left-field fence for a solo shot that evened the score. “Focusing on my swing led to a good result,” Kim said. “My timing feels even better than it did in Okinawa.”

South Korea seized the momentum in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Kim Do-young opened with an infield single, and the offense followed with hits from Lee Jung-hoo, 28, of the San Francisco Giants, Moon Bo-kyung, 26, of LG, and Ahn Hyun-min, 23, of KT. The four-hit burst produced two early runs.

Hanshin countered with right-handed ace Hiroto Saiki, 28, who went 12-6 with a 1.55 ERA in 24 appearances last season. Saiki consistently fired fastballs above 150 km/h, but South Korea’s lineup handled the velocity with confidence. Hanshin catcher Dorai Fushimi, 36, said he was surprised by how comfortably Korean hitters managed Saiki’s fastball.

On the mound, South Korea’s veterans steadied the game. Starter Kwak Bin, 27, of Doosan, allowed three runs over two innings and exited before completing the three frames initially planned. The bullpen, including Noh Kyung-eun, Son Ju-young, Go Young-pyo, Ryu Hyun-jin, Park Young-hyun and Kim Taek-yeon, kept Hanshin off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

Noh Kyung-eun, 42, of SSG, retired all three batters he faced in the third inning. Ryu, 39, of Hanwha, followed with two innings of one-hit relief in the sixth and seventh, retiring all six batters he faced. Though his fastball topped out in the mid-140 km/h range, he mixed in curveballs as slow as 109 km/h to disrupt Hanshin’s timing. Hanshin manager Fujiwara Kyuji, 46, called Ryu the most impressive Korean player, saying the veteran right-hander’s pitching and leadership stood out.

South Korea also delivered key defensive plays. In the eighth inning, with the score tied 3-3 and runners on second and third, No Si-hwan, 26, of Hanwha, made a crucial stop. He fielded a sharp grounder by Nakagawa Hiyato, 22, and threw home to cut down third-base runner Kumagai Takahiro, 31. In the ninth, Kim Taek-yeon, 21, escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam with a calm, inning-ending double play.

Not all bats were productive. Korean-American players Jermaine Jones, 29, of Detroit, and Shea Whitcomb, 28, of Houston, combined for just one infield single from the second and fourth spots in the order. Manager Ryu said it was only one game and expressed confidence that the lineup would find its rhythm.

South Korea will face Orix in its second evaluation game at the same venue on March 3, with Dane Dunning, 32, of Atlanta scheduled to start. The team will then travel to Tokyo for its Group C opener against the Czech Republic on March 5.


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