Top > Sport > 2006 > March > 2006-03-18

World Baseball not going Classic-ally for America

According to sports network news, South Korea`s Hee Seop Choi belted a pinch-hit three- run homer and Seung-Yeop Lee added a solo shot, as the Republic of Korea pushed the United States of America around at the World Baseball Classic, with a 7-3 triumph at Angel Stadium. The U.S. finishes second-round playThursday against Mexico, and that`s the last contest in the pool before the semifinals take place. The top two teams from the pool will meet at the semifinals in San Diego.

Seung-Yeop Lee homered to right field for South Korea`s first run in the bottom of the first and it became 2-0 later in the inning on Bum Ho Lee`s line single to left field. Willis allowed a walk to Tae Kyun Kim and a single to Ji Man Song to set up the second run. For the Americans, Ken Griffey Jr. homered and drove in two runs, who have a 1-1 record in Pool 1 and are behind Korea (2-0) for the top spot. Japan and Mexico, both losers in their first games of round two, played each other on Tuesday.

America had two runners on base with nobody out in the fifth inning, but Chipper Jones eventually grounded into an inning-ending double play. Korean pitcher Min Han Son threw the first three innings to get the win for South Korea, and five relievers after him effectively shut down the Americans, who failed to come up with a much needed clutch hit time and again. The Americans loaded the bases in the first inning, but Jason Varitek was fanned by pitcher Son to end any such threat.