<P>Koreans sweep Asian WBC group </P>
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<P><SPAN>By Dan Sloan</SPAN><EM class=timedate>Sun Mar 5, 3:55 PM ET</EM> </P>
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<P>South Korea upset fierce rivals Japan 3-2 on a towering home run from slugger Lee Seung-yeop on Sunday to sweep the Asian pool of the World Baseball Classic.</P>
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<P>Both teams had already advanced before San Diego's Chan Ho Park ended the game by retiring Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki on a pop-up fly at Tokyo Dome.</P>
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<P>South Korea's single-season home run record holder Lee hit his third bomb of the Pool A games with a two-run shot in the top of the eighth inning to snatch a late victory.</P>
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<P>"I was trying to stay focused on the ball," Japan-based Lee said of his game-winning blast. "Japan are a great team and we'll have to beat them again in America if we want to advance."</P>
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<P>The next round of the inaugural 16-team tournament takes place in Anaheim from March 12-16.</P>
<P>Colorado Rockies pitcher Kim Sun-woo started for Korea, giving up seven hits and two runs, while the New York Mets' Koo Dae-sung pitched the eighth and got the win.</P>
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<P>Park, South Korea's most famous export, earned a save after winning his duel with Suzuki. </P>
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<P>MUSCLES FLEXED</P>
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<P>Japan scored a combined 32 runs in blow-out wins against China and Taiwan. South Korea had only flexed their muscles in Saturday's 10-1 victory over China.</P>
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<P>Asian hosts Japan scored on Nobuhiko Matsunaka's infield single in the first inning that brought home Tsuyoshi Nishioka and again in Munenori Kawasaki's solo homer in the second.</P>
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<P>Korea scored their first run in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by Lee Byung-kyu that brought in Park Jin-man.</P>
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<P>Pitcher Shunsuke Watanabe started for Japan, surrendering three hits and a run, while reliever Hirotoshi Ishii gave up the Lee homer and took the loss before a crowd of 40,000.</P>
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<P>"We didn't score when we had chances to which hurt," Japan coach Sadaharu Oh told reporters. "We will want to take revenge next time."</P>
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<P>South Korea's challenge carries added significance as the Korea Baseball Organization has asked the country's government to exempt the players from military service if they reach the semi-finals.</P>
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<P>In the earlier game between the two non-advancing teams, Taiwan third baseman Chen Yung-chi belted a grand slam homer to help lead a 12-3 rout of China. </P>
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<P>출처 : yahoo /news / sports / reuters</P></DIV></DIV>
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