Noh Shi-hwan (Hanwha Eagles) was held in check by Japan in the second game of the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) 2023 Qualifier on Sunday.
Japanese catcher Shogo Sakakura visited the mound before Noh’s at-bats in the fourth inning and the sixth inning to discuss strategy with starting pitcher Chihiro Sumida.
Shogo was conscious of Noh, the No. 4 hitter who led the KBO in home runs (31) and RBIs (101) in the 2023 season.
As it turned out, the Japanese battery won the game.
Noh hit a changeup to left field in the fourth inning but couldn’t follow it up with a hit and was stranded in the sixth inning.
Noh finished the game with one hit in four at-bats.
The lack of success from the “cleanup trio” that was supposed to distract from Noh was a disappointment.
Third baseman Yoon Dong-hee (Lotte Giants) and fifth baseman Moon Hyun-bin (Hanwha) were silent on the day, going 0-for-4.
Moon turned a grounder into a double play with runners on first and second in the fourth inning after Noh’s hit, and Yoon had to settle for a groundout with runners on first and second in the sixth.
While Noh went 3-for-5 against Australia on Saturday, Yoon Dong-hee went 0-for-4 and Moon Hyun-bin went 1-for-4.
Japan’s No. 3 hitter Shota Morishita went 4-for-7 against Taiwan and South Korea, while Shugo Maki and Teruaki Sato combined to go 2-for-8.
In the end, South Korea managed just five hits as a team and lost 1-2 to Japan (nine).
Moon Hyun-bin and Yoon Dong-hee, unlike Roh Si-hwan, are mostly table-setters or lower order batters for their respective teams, so they are less familiar with the center field.
Long-hitting Kang Baek-ho (KT Wiz) and Moon Bo-kyung (LG Twins) did not make the squad due to injury and Korean Series commitments, respectively.
South Korea (1-1) will need to defeat Chinese Taipei (1-1) in the final preliminary game on April 18 to have a chance to advance to the final and upset Japan (2-1).
Chinese Taipei’s pitching is strong, so Moon Hyun-bin and Yoon Dong-hee will be crucial.
“In international tournaments, it’s difficult to attack pitchers because there are many pitchers you haven’t seen before,” said Ryu Jung-il after the game against Japan the day before. “We will analyze the pitchers well and try to be proactive in the game against Taiwan.” 카지노사이트