It’s Willis vs. Son tonight, but I’m disappointed only for Lee’s are starting. With Derrek, we had a chance for six between the two teams, but Mark Teixeira is starting for the US, and Korea is only using four of their Lees tonight.
Update: The US loads the bases on two walks and a single, but Varitek strikes out to end the inning without a score.
Update: Seung-Yeop Lee hits his fifth home run of the tournament, once again giving Korea a lead in the first inning. Korea leads the US 1-0.
Update: Willis is off to another poor start. Korea gets another run after a walk and two single. That’s three hits and two walks for the Florida lefty.
Update: Willis gets out of the inning on a fly ball to left. Once again, however, the US finds itself in a hole early.
Update: Willis pitches somewhat better in the second. He walked one but struck out two, and the score remains 2-0 South Korea after two innings.
Update: Ken Griffey Jr. cuts the lead in half with a solo home run to center field in the top of the third inning. It’s 2-1 South Korea.
Update: Willis starts the third inning with a walk. He’s walked the leadoff man in all three innings.
Update: Willis hits Tae Kyun Kim to put men on 1st and 2nd with none out in the bottom of the third.
Update: After a sacrifice bunt, a ground out drives in the third run of the game for Korea. Willis is just not having a good day. Again.
Update: Willis gets out of the inning, but the US is down 3-1. Willis is up to 60 pitches, and the US will be lucky to get five innings out of the starter at this point.
Update: Byung Doo Jun replaces Son on the mound for Korea. Son threw just 46 pitches, but it doesn’t seem to matter who South Korea uses on the mound.
Update: US selectivity is paying off as Chipper Jones and Jason Varitek draw walks to start the fourth.
Update: Teixeira strikes out looking, and that’s it for Jun. the Koreans are going to the bullpen early and often. Byung-Hyun Kim takes over on the mound.
Update: Kim strikes out his teammate, Holliday. Still two on for Utley.
Update: Utley singles, but the second baseman keeps it on the infield to prevent a run from scoring. Vernon Wells up with the bases loaded.
Update: Wells fails to put the ball in play as he strikes out. That’s three on and three strikeouts in the inning for the US, and they fail to score.
I’m off to bed. Feel free to update the game in the comments.
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I’m just tracking this on Gameday, but did A Rod just strike out one three pitches, each a swing and miss?
Dontrelle…another bad start. The US needs some pitching. Too bad everyone else opted out.
big choi!!! korea up 6-1
The USA is embarrasing themselves with this poor quality of baseball. They probably didn’t deserve to win against Japan and now are losing 6-1. Striking out constantly trying to hit homers. This is hard to watch.
Look at the bright side: Maybe a team will finally give Choi the chance to prove himself with an everyday role after this game.
I think the fans in this game have been pretty disappointing. Way too many boos for my likes. Also when the koreans almost brought in a pitcher but then changed their mind the camera seemed to be showing the fans giving the pitcher in the bullpen alot of grief. It just seems the fans don’t respect the koreans which is a shame.
The Americans are playing hard, but they’re not playing smart. I was afraid they wouldn’t do either. So I’m glad they’re taking it seriously in that sense, but if they want to succeed in this thing they need play as a more cohesive unit.
too bad choi will be on the bench behind nomar, jeff kent, and cesar izturis (when he returns he might move to 2nd then kent to 1st)