Kim Do-young’s tying homer lifts South Korea to 3-3 WBC tune-up draw vs Hanshin

Kim Do-young of South Korea celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning against Japan’s Hanshin Tigers in a World Baseball Classic exhibition game at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan, March 2. (Yonhap via AP) — Kim Do-young of South Korea celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning against Japan’s Hanshin Tigers in a World Baseball Classic exhibition game at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan, March 2. (Yonhap)

South Korea’s national baseball team, preparing for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, played Japan’s Hanshin Tigers to a 3-3 tie in an exhibition game.

The team managed by Ryu Ji-hyun drew with Hanshin on March 2 at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan, in an official WBC tune-up.

Ryu’s squad entered its first official exhibition after going 4-1 in five games in Okinawa against KBO clubs including the Samsung Lions, Hanwha Eagles and KIA Tigers.

Starter Kwak Bin (Doosan Bears) struggled, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk with one strikeout over two innings. He ran into trouble in the second inning.

Six relievers followed and combined for scoreless work. Noh Kyung-eun (SSG Landers), Son Ju-young (LG Twins) and Ko Young-pyo (KT Wiz) each threw a scoreless inning from the second through the fifth. Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles) worked two innings in the sixth and seventh, giving up one hit and no runs. Park Young-hyun (KT) and Kim Taek-yeon (Doosan) each pitched a scoreless inning in the eighth and ninth.

At the plate, leadoff hitter Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) provided the key blow, hitting a game-tying solo homer in the fifth. He went 2 for 3 with one RBI and one run scored.

South Korea will play the Orix Buffaloes at noon March 3 at the same venue in its final warmup, then travel to Tokyo. The team opens WBC group play on March 5 against the Czech Republic at the Tokyo Dome.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Kang Sang Heon