2026 Nagoya Asian Games baseball rematch: South Korea lost to Japan 0-5

South Korea’s Cho Byung-hyun. (File photo, taken by special correspondent Chen Zhiqu)

In the rematch of the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games baseball event, the South Korean team, which is seeking its fifth consecutive championship, faced the Japanese team, which is mainly composed of social players, at Toyohashi Citizen Stadium today. South Korea only recorded 4 hits in the game and eventually lost to Japan 0-5.

The Japanese team went on the offensive in the third inning, using hits, walks, and one out to capture first and second base. Kiyo Kaoyama hit a double with an RBI and continued to occupy second and third base. After Japan used a ground ball to escort one point, Mizutani Shohei hit a ground ball in the direction of the shortstop to form an infield hit. In addition, South Korean shortstop Kim Joo-won made a passing error, allowing Japan to score another point and score three points in a single inning.

In the 6th inning, the Japanese team resumed its offensive, with 3 hits and 1 walk in a single inning, including timely hits from Yukiya Yano and Manami Soeda that added 2 points.

Although the South Korean team hit 3 hits in the first 6 innings, there were 3 double plays. Among them, South Korea beat Noh Shih-hwan twice, allowing the South Korean team to perform an unusual 20-20. With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Noh Shih-hwan hit a hit, but Moon Bo-kyung hit a fly ball and was caught. The South Korean team returned without success again. The South Korean team went 6-6 in the last two games and suffered a shutout.

Japan's starting left-hander, Higuchi Shin, only allowed 4 hits in 7 innings, struck out 4 and gave up no runs, and did not issue a walk, suppressing the South Korean team's line. Kayo Soichiro and Buchigami Yoshiki each pitched an inning, and the three pitchers teamed up to seal South Korea. The Japanese team is still victorious.

South Korea's starting pitcher Su Hyung-jun only pitched 3 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned runs), and Cho Byung-hyun allowed 2 runs in 0.2 innings. The South Korean baseball team suffered its first defeat in this Asian Games.

In addition, this is the second time that the South Korean team has lost to the Japanese team, which is mainly social, since the 2006 Doha Asian Games.