Korea @ Chinese Taipei – Tokyo Dome

WBC pre-game is on now

The game is live on ESPN Deportes and will re-air on ESPN 2 at 1:30 am EST. There is also Gameday Box Score and Play-by-Play running at WorldBaseballClassic.com if you don't get Deportes and you aren't interested in watching the tape-delay broadcast. MLB.TV is also streaming the game (and all the others) live… $9.99 buys you the whole tournament—as does a regular MLB.TV subscription.

The game starts in 10 minutes...

...The stands at the Tokyo Dome don’t look that full—and the cheering suggests that the largest group of fans are rooting for the “home team” Chinese Taipei…

Got to give them credit though, they know how the cheer, and—getting a good look at behind home plate and the baselines now—there aren’t that many empty seats…

Sachio Kinugasa threw out the ceremonial first pitch… ball...

6:33 PST: The first World Baseball Classic is underway!...

Leadoff man on base for Korea after an E on the second baseman…

And a bunt to move him to second. Already seeing the Asian small-ball…

6:40 PST: The Taipei pitcher En-Yu Lin gets out of the inning with a couple of K’s. the second had the Korean hitter falling over. He is throwing about 140-143 km/hr (mid-to-upper 80’s)…

Queen’s We Will Rock You is playing in the background…

Korea’s starting pitcher is Jae Seo, he is also throwing in the 80’s, he makes quick work of the Taipei batters and 3B Dong Joo Kim makes some nice plays, 0-0 after 1…

Korea is on base again with a leadoff double... nothin' doin...

7:10 PST: Taipei threatened to score in the 2^nd with a hit and a walk—runners on 2^nd and 3^rd 2 out—but can’t capitalize…

After struggling with my MLB.TV (getting disconnected every minute or so) I found that ESPN 2 is currently showing the game—contrary to MLB.com and WorldBaseballClassic.com information. Much better… I will let you know if my experience with MLB.TV and the Classic gets any better.

I haven’t had any trouble watching spring training games on my subscription, however…

7:20 PST: The English announcers are commenting that they are surprised at the control shown by the pitchers… I thought that was what we were supposed to expect from this game—two strong pitching teams and Taipei banking on holding Korea to as few runs as possible to make up for their weak offense. So far so good, scoreless through 3.

I seem to be getting a Japanese broadcast from MLB.TV now… hmmm…

Taipei on the bases again with 1 out in the bottom of the 3^rd… Another sac bunt… no help.

7:40 PST: Running much better now... they have removed the voice track altogether now... it is about two pitches behind the cable broadcast.

Top of four... this is where pitch counts start to get interesting.. Taipei is up to 50, and issues a leadoff walk...

Dong Joo Kim is really taking rips at the ball... he struck out in his first at bat and hit a chopper to third just now, moving the runner to second. It looks like if he gets a hold of one it will be smoked...

RBI double by Korea’s catcher (Hong) and the Taipei pitcher is through his 65 pitches… too bad, he won’t be able to play with the rosin bag anymore. Now Taipei’s offense has to figure out how to score some runs…

Korea's pitcher is done (taken out with 61 pitches) with two outs in the 4th... he is replaced with a sidearm guy (another Kim)... he gets out of the inning after a long AB...

8:17 PST: Another sac-bunt by Korea after a leadoff hit... and a smoked double off the LF wall has another RBI... I am guessing that one scores the runner whether he is on first or second...

A good rundown and catch by the Taipei CF ends the inning, 2-0 Korea...

8:32 PST: Doon Joo Kim, the wild swinging Korean 3rd baseman, just dove awkwardly into first base and tweaked his left shoulder... I have seen a couple other hitters dive into first base. It is generally accepted that it isn't any faster to do so. Kim came out of the game and a pinch runner came in for him... the pinch runner, another Kim, stole second...

Hong, the guy who hit the first RBI double, picked up another hit, putting runners on first and third with one out but a double play after the pitching change finishes the inning…

8:48 PST: A couple of interesting things here. 1) Taipei, down two runs and with the #3 hitter up, played the sac-bunt after a leadoff hit. 2) The Koreans are bringing out their pitcher—who is throwing well—after 29 pitches so that they can pitch him again tomorrow...

9:10 PST: 7^th inning stretch (Take Me Out to the Ballgame). The game has settled down… besides the error in the 1^st and a mistake by the Korean pitcher on a come-backer in the 6^th. Still 2-0 Korea… if Taipei’s weak offense doesn’t figure something out quick they are likely out of the running for advancement to Round 2...

Chan Ho Park is in for the Koreans and through the 7^th quickly…

Jong Beom Lee hit his second big double of the night for the Koreans, this time leading off the inning…

9:23 PST: Aggressive play style costs Korea, there, as an attempted squeeze bunt gets by the bat and a runner on third (with 1 out) gets picked-off badly…

Taipei is down to one last chance...

A good stop by the Korean shortstop to save a run and pick up the last out of the game…

Korea wins 3-0

About what we expected from Taipei… good pitching but no offense. This all but puts them out of the running for advancement.