World Baseball Classic: Power, small ball and Suzuki’s clutch swings reshape a seesaw Tokyo tilt

Under the glare of Tokyo Dome lights, the crowd watched a game that felt like two separate contests stitched together — an early Korea surge, then a Japanese counterpunch featuring homers, walks and late-inning pitching. The world baseball classic brought thunder and tension: Shohei Ohtani homered for the second straight day and Seiya Suzuki hit two homers as defending champion Japan beat South Korea 8-6 in Tokyo.

How did Japan pull out the win at the World Baseball Classic?

Japan erased an early deficit with a flurry of power and patient baserunning. South Korea jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first on consecutive offensive plays that produced two runs and an RBI, but Japan answered quickly. Suzuki’s two-run homer in the second trimmed the gap, and in the third Ohtani connected on a hanging curve from Young Pyo Ko for a tying home run. Two batters later, Suzuki homered again to give Japan the edge.

Masataka Yoshida added a homer and finished with three RBIs as part of Japan’s four-home-run night. The game swung again in the seventh when Suzuki drew a bases-loaded walk from Young Kyu Kim to push Japan ahead, and Yoshida followed with a two-run single in that same inning. When Ju Won Kim cut the deficit with an RBI single in the eighth, South Korea still had paths back, but Hyeseong Kim struck out against Yuki Matsumoto to strand the bases loaded.

What were the decisive moments and performances?

The game threaded together moments of power and scrappy manufacturing of runs. Ohtani’s homer continued a streak of impact at the plate; Suzuki’s two homers and four RBIs were decisive. Yoshida’s homer and timely hitting provided an important middle-order push. On the mound, Atsuki Taneichi turned in a key stretch, striking out the side in the seventh to preserve Japan’s advantage, and Taisei Ota closed with three straight outs on seven pitches for the save.

For South Korea, Hyeseong Kim’s two-run homer in the fourth erased Japan’s early lead and gave Korea life. Korea had opened the scoring in the first on contributions from Do Yeong Kim, Jahmai Jones, Jung Hoo Lee and Bo Gyeong Moon. The pitching matchups and quick back-and-forth power made the first four innings feel like a slugfest, then late-inning tactics and pitchers’ executions decided the finish.

What else happened around the tournament and what comes next?

Elsewhere in Tokyo, Taiwan’s Stuart Fairchild hit a grand slam as Taiwanese hitters combined small ball and power in a 14-0 mercy-rule game over Czechia; Taiwan set a tournament mark with seven steals in that contest. Japan and Australia stood at 2-0 in Pool C and were set to meet as the favorites to advance. South Korea moved to 1-1 in pool play, with the narrow defeat leaving room for adjustment.

The crowd at Tokyo Dome included notable attendees from outside baseball, a reminder of the event’s reach: New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye watched the game, and the previous day had drawn other high-profile guests. The tournament’s mixture of star power, national teams and varied playing styles — from grand slams to strategic steals — continued to shape each pool’s storyline.

Back under the Dome lights, the late seventh and eighth innings held both finality and unanswered questions: Japan left with a victory built on power and patience, while South Korea walked away with evidence that a single swing could have rewritten the ending. The world baseball classic had produced another chapter of drama — and both teams would return to Tokyo with work to do.