Korea Holds Off Mexico
On each side of the Pacific Ocean, Korea’s pitching has become one of the forces of the inaugural World Baseball Classic.
Five Korean pitchers -- Dodger off-season acquisition Jae Seo started and former Dodger Chan Ho Park pitched the ninth -- limited Mexico to five hits in a 2-1 win Sunday night at Angel Stadium.
The second-round pool-play game drew a near-sellout crowd of 42,979. The two-game total Sunday was 75,875.
In a raucous atmosphere, with Korean and Mexican flags waving from the stands and the potential tying run at third base, Park struck out Geronimo Gil to end the game. Korea joined Puerto Rico as the only undefeated teams in the WBC at 4-0.
Korea plays Team USA tonight at Angel Stadium, where right-hander Min Han Son, an 18-game winner in the Korean league last season, is expected to face U.S. left-hander Dontrelle Willis. Korea has given up four runs in four WBC games.
Against Mexico, Seo gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings.
Korea scored with one out in the first inning, when Jong Beom Lee singled and Seung Yeop Lee homered to right field against Mexico starter Rodrigo Lopez.
Seung Yeop Lee, who hit 30 home runs in 117 games for the Chiba Lotte Marines last season, had three home runs in first-round pool play.
Mexico, the top-seeded team from Pool B, scored in the third on Luis Alfonso Garcia’s leadoff home run.
Fernando Valenzuela, a Team Mexico coach who received the loudest ovation in pregame introductions, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.