There were just two WBC games to be had Tuesday, and both ended with late-inning, comeback victories for the home squads:
World Baseball Classic 2013 scores: Tuesday, March 5
A quick summary of Tuesday’s WBC action, along with an updated look at the Round 1 standings.
Koji Watanabe
China 5 Brazil 2
For seven innings Tuesday morning, it appeared as though Brazil was going to get its first ever World Baseball Classic victory. But it just wasn’t to be. Brazilian starter Oscar Nakaoshi held China scoreless for four frames, and right-hander Murilo Gouvea followed suit with three shutdown innings of his own. But then Gouvea came out for a fourth frame, and the wheels came off for Brazil. The right-hander managed just one out before being pulled with the bases loaded, and the two relievers to follow could not regain control, walking in three runs and handing China the win.
South Korea 3 Chinese Taipei 2
South Korea handed Chinese Taipei their first loss of the tournament, but it wasn't enough for the 2009 WBC runners-up to advance to Round 2. Korea needed to blow out Chinese Taipei by at least seven in order to win the tiebreaker, but could only manage to squeak out a one-run victory. Chinese Taipei jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with the help of RBI singles from shortstop Chih-Sheng Lin in the third and left fielder Dai-Kang Yang in the fourth. For much of the game it looked as though the Taiwanese club was going to walk into Round 2 undefeated, but a two-run, eighth inning blast from Korean third baseman Jungho Kang off of former Mariners and Dodgers left-hander Hung-Chih Kuo gave South Korea the lead and the win.
All World Baseball Classic Scores:
China 5, Brazil 2
South Korea 3, Chinese Taipei 2
Standings
Pool A W - L
1. Japan 2 - 0 (advances)
1. Cuba: 2 - 0 (advances)
3. China: 1 - 2
4. Brazil: 0 - 3
Pool B
1. Chinese Taipei 2 - 1 (advances)
2. Netherlands 2 - 1 (advances)
3. South Korea 2 - 1
4. Australia 0 - 3
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